Bound in Betrayal
by SteelAgainstIvory
Summary: For thousands of years, an ancient priest was hidden under the sands of time. Through a devious plot he was arisen by a street orphan. From there the epic journey of how to find forgotten humanity ensues... SetoJou Pairing. R&R Is Recommended!
1. Chapter One

**UPDATED AS OF November 27, 2007: **I first posted this fic a little more than a year ago. In that year my writing style has grown much, much better. I suppose I should leave the first chapter as is so that I may look back and appreciate all my hard work and practice and how it paid off for future chapters… However, there were too many grammatical errors and confusing word play I never noticed before.

So here is a (slightly) less muddled Chapter One of…

BOUND IN BETRAYAL

**A/N: **This is the result of falling asleep while watching The Mummy and eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream before bed:\

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:** A boy accidentally gets himself mixed up in a supernatural battle ground. He awakens a mummy with a harsh past, and is now bound to him! What's the poor kid going to do now?

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Emphasis**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter One**

There is a story. It is hidden with in the sands of time. This story is almost nonexistent. If I tell it to you, you must remember to keep the tale a secret. It is not meant to be told. But, I believe, it has long since stayed silent. Now, it begins ages ago, when we called the sun by a different name…

The speaking of the sun, the light glittered over holy relics. The lime stone floors shone, and the waters of the Nile were shimmering brightly enough to harm one's eyes. There was the lingering scent of almond oil in the air. A young man stood, straight and proud, as he listened to the winds drift over his sheer robes… robes of the priest of a pharaoh.

But, for as gorgeous as this day was, a dark cloud would hang over it. For all eternity, this place would be tainted for every soul in the Shrine of Ra. The place of the high King of Egypt… Soon to be the final resting place of the Priest.

Present Day Cairo

"I can't believe this…" a teenage blond groaned. His hands were scraped up pretty bad. Sweat poured into the little openings, making it sting. Another teen with pallid colored locks opposite him looked at the cuts and bruises swelling over the filthy digits. He winced and pushed the sight back.

"Ouch, Jou," the snow white teen said, whipping his head about. The blond, apparently called Jou, wiped his hands on the raggedy burgundy shirt as the salt from his sweat began to sting his injuries.

"Is that all you can say Bakura? Ouch?" Jou had asked with a slight scowl. The summer sun reflected on his fair golden hair, but no one on the bustling streets took any notice.

"What do you expect me to do? Nurse you back to health?" the guy now named Bakura inquired sarcastically.

"Well, a little more sympathy would suffice," Jou tried while pointing at his companion, "I was the one stealing from the Ishtar Clan for your little brother."

The Ishtar Clan was almost the Egyptian mafia. It was separated like in the ancient days where the land of the Pharaohs was split by South (upper) and North (lower) based on the flow of the Nile. Malik had control of Lower Egypt and Marik had the upper Egyptian.

But back to the boys hiding in the allies…

Bakura was an orphan, as was Jou. His younger brother was named Ryou. Ryou was a rather sickly boy. The only way for the three of them to survive was to steal. Well, Jou was trying his hardest to find a real job as he was the only one who actually stole. It was incidents like earlier today that made him want to have a cleaner life.

Jou wasn't sure how, but Bakura received information that Malik (the lesser of two evils). The Mafia Leader was trading some very important artifacts. Bakura concluded that if they stole one, they could sell it to the British Museum in Cairo and estimating from the secrecy that Malik wanted to keep, they were dealing with some very big bucks. Maybe even enough that could get Ryou real medical attention.

Therefore, Jou was sent to go and steal a relic. Of course, Jou didn't want to, but he was the only one out of the three that could actually read and speak ancient Egyptian (his mother had taught him before passing on). Being the kind soul he is, Jou could not leave Bakura and Ryou's dreams to die. So he went to go swipe one… and got caught.

Lucky for the blond, they all thought he was simply in the wrong place and time. The goons merely bashed up Jou's hands for being a thief. Pressing onward though, Bakura ended up frowning and kicking the faded clay wall. "What are we gonna do now?" was his pissed question. Jou felt his lips twitch.

"We go to the Cairo museum, 'Kura." Jou explained. His roughed up and bandaged hands dug into the faded jeans the boy always wore. Little Ryou, who had bandaged poor Jou's hands, tilted his head as he watched the blond pull out a trinket. Bakura's eyes widened tenfold when the boiling heat of the sun reflected off **gold**.

"By Ra almighty…" the teen whispered in awe. Ryou stood shakily as he covered his mouth in a coughing fit. Jou was grinning like a total moron.

"I snuck it out; covering up what my other hand was doing by screaming like hell," he recounted his story holding out a shiny box about 2 inches wide, 4 inches long, and 3 in depth. The youngest of the brother pair noticed by the odd little shallow patches of shadows that there were glyphs on it. "The thugs missed my hand most of the time because I was stealing it." He said low to Ryou. Ryou's sea colored eyes snapped up at honey orbs.

"You did this for me?" came the shaky question with teary eyes. Jou snorted and whipped his head to the side as if insulted.

"Course I did. Who else would I do it for? Bakura?" he teased. Bakura glowered at the teen for a moment. Ryou carefully took the treasure from the blond and held it up to his brother to inspect. Bakura gave him a rare smile. It was off to Cairo…

In Cairo Museum

Jou sighed as he stood in front of an old painting taken from a grave some where in the desert. All the butterflies fluttering about in his heart kept him from reading the story the painting held. So far Jou had read, "Son of Isis Ruler of Upper Egypt" fourteen times.

"Jou!" Bakura barked. The blond jumped and spun around instantly at the noise. Although Bakura sat calmly in his seat, his hands were furiously clenched, knuckles white under the pressure. "I know you're nervous, but we gotta stay calm," he grit through his teeth. Ryou was idly swinging his legs as the air conditioner wafted over him, ruffling the silver bangs. Jou sighed for maybe the sixth time since they entered the building.

Before Bakura could grab Jou and forcefully sit him down, the Curator's door swung open. The boys leapt up, heads swiveling to see a Japanese man bow and walk out to a figure they couldn't yet detect. The man saw the three boys in the hall and bowed once more. Bakura scoffed and turned his head and Ryou inclined his head shyly while Jou ignored the gesture completely by jamming his hands in his pockets.

Once he felt the cool tip of the box of gold, his tension ease. All three boys had worn the best clothes to impress the museum director. It was natural they felt out of their element. Jou was also praying to whatever religious figure he could that the director would take this harmless little box so maybe, maybe, they could **finally** get a home.

As the echoing of suede shoes grew dimmer, the figure in the door way stepped into the over illuminated fluorescent lighting of the expansive foyer. The blond openly gaped at a fine featured man in his late thirties to early forties. Half his visage as covered by a veil of storm colored straight hair. The director smiled good-naturedly at them.

"Well," he said in a booming voice. "Why don't you enter? You all look so uncomfortable." The man ushered them in with a gracious sweep of his hands. Jou followed after his friends, a sudden sinking feeling in his gut. The Curator closed the door. _That's it, no going back_ Jou thought.

The man walked to his desk, velvety locks sweeping as he did so. Bakura squinted at the shiny name plaque. "Mr. Pegasus, it is good to finally meet with you." He recited slowly and professionally. Pegasus's visible eye wrinkled in mirth at the teen's actions.

"Yes. It is good indeed," the man agreed. Then with a sudden movement, the air grew stale. All the mirth washed from Pegasus's eyes. "I hear that you boys have a something you think may have value." Ryou's tiny frame shuddered at the stale, cold business like manner and shrunk in his chair. That was when Jou decided he should present the item to the director.

"Yes… I have found something you may want," Jou started cryptically. Pegasus's only thin eyebrow to be seen rose up mockingly. Jou continued as if he had done nothing at all, "We were taking a hike through the desert one day, hoping to find something interesting. Luck was on our side that day." Jou had been reading up as much as he could to study his stolen find. So he knew what to say next to grab the man's attention.

"It appears to be a golden jewelry box. Almost three thousand years old. During the reign of the supposed infamous Pharaoh of Darkness; in fact, it has Pharaoh Yami's cartouche." Jou explained with a small grin, box in hand as he slowly presented it from his cavernous pocket.

Pegasus's eyes enlarged at the glimmering object in the pale hand. The Pharaoh's seal was showing proudly in harsh overhead bulb on the metal desk. Bakura was leaning back with his arms crossed triumphantly and Ryou was excitedly bouncing in his seat. The director stood up to stagger over to Jou's side and examined the thing carefully.

"Oh my…" he breathed. His fingers were tremulous as he traced the hieroglyphs. "I have to call in a team of experts to translate this right away." He mumbled to himself. Then quickly, the man straightened and stalked back to his phone. Jou nervously snicker and waved his hand.

"No need. I already translated it," he admitted to the director. Pegasus unabashedly stared at him. Ryou piped up in his seat.

"Trust him. He's an expert. His mom taught him," he chirped. Jou cast a furtive look to Ryou. Ryou ducked his head in apology. Pegasus put down his phone, operator calling out to see who was there.

"What does it say?" he inquired urgently. Jou unconsciously fingered the corner of the box.

"Well…" he began unsure of the glint in the director's eyes. "It has a curse on it. Something is locked inside it, a map I gather. It will lead you to The Valley of the Damned." Jou felt his stomach sink lower when Pegasus face split in a grin. Bakura and Ryou glanced over at the two confused however before they could question Jou the Curator hung up the phone with a loud click.

"Really now? Then this was just as I thought…" the man said aloud to himself, voice fading. The white haired teen threw Jou a look, Jou threw it back. A long bony finger pressed the intercom button. "Tristan, Duke, if you would please come in…" A side door none of the boys noticed opened in a creak. The teens looked over startled causing Jou and Bakura gasped. They rose in their seats and pointed at the intruders.

"YOU!" they exclaimed in chorus. Jou blinked and turned to Bakura, who was pointing to a man in a tux with a dice earring dangling off his lobe. He glanced over at Jou, finger stretched out to the other man in similar clothing with spiked brown hair.

"Who the hell are you pointing at?" Bakura questioned, arm still up in the air.

"The guy who crushed my hand. Who are pointing at?" Jou answered with a question. The blond's arm fell to his side slowly as he suddenly realized it was now rude.

"This is the jerk that tipped me off about the sale," He seethed; eye's never leaving the dice dude. Jou stared at the profile of Pegasus, the only visible part of his face clearly amused.

"What is going on?" he growled. Pegasus stood leisurely against his desk. It made Jou tense up once more.

"Silly children." The director tsked, "Didn't you now the Ishtar Clan keeps people like me from exploiting the treasures of Egypt?" Pegasus leaned against the steel edge of the desk, fondling his curtain of gray at the ends.

"So you used us?" Jou demanded more than asked. His eyes darted around the room for anything useful. It seemed their luck had run out. Pegasus let out a fluid chuckle.

"Of course! I had seen you before and knew you were the perfect person to grab some treasure," he explained, tossing back his hair, revealing a fake golden eye. The blond stumbled back, recognizing that gleaming socket from many years ago…

Ryou gasped and jolted up, coughing in shock. For a split second Bakura's eyes peered behind him to his brother, Duke took the chance to hit him over the head with the butt of a shiny gray pistol. Jou shouted out too late as the snow haired teen fell into his younger brother's arms. Jou's gaze snapped back to the enemy at hand. Pegasus simply smiled.

"Yet it seems, I have gained much more than just a trinket…" the director mused. Too quick for the panicked Jou to spot, claw like fingers launched forward and traced the younger man's jaw. The teen felt his hair rise in a cold fear. He gulped it back down, charging at Pegasus's form.

Out of the blue a sharp pain across his crown sent him rearing back. He moaned and clutched at his head, knowing the force must have been the body guard. He glanced up as he saw the Tristan character cracking his knuckles, the bones making a popping noise. Jou grimaced at the sound as he stood on his feet.

"God damn it! Let us go!" Jou shouted. The man shook his head, dreary hair swaying with the motion.

"I don't think so. I can't be too sure you won't tell anyone, now can I?" he inquired. The blond felt another growl deep in his throat. He knew that as soon as he and the brothers got out of there, they would go straight to Malik with this information. It looks like Pegasus knew that too.

"Then what do you want with us?" he managed to choke out through clenched molars. At this, the Curator gave him another eerie smile.

"More like, what **I** want with **you**," the older male corrected. Jou scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. The air was rather humid as the boy did so.

"What makes you think, I'd even help you?" the boy sneered. Pegasus nodded to the other two gentlemen in the room. Duke pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at Ryou.

Jou's eyes widened. His arms dropped and dangled at his sides. Ryou squeaked as the safety was pulled back. The younger one wrapped his arms tight around Bakura. Jou looked from them to Pegasus. "You wouldn't…" Jou's voice came out unevenly.

"They wait for my signal so I wouldn't push it," He countered nonchalantly. Jou bit his lip and looked to Ryou. The boy's breathing came in raspy, obviously terrified. _Could I really risk thi_s? With one look at the bored face Pegasus had on, Jou knew he couldn't. The blond stared solidly at the puke green tiles.

"I'll help you. Just don't harm them," he begged. Pegasus smirked and wiped his nails on his coat absently.

"Alright boys, put 'em away," the bastard ordered. Jou bit his lip as he heard the safety click back on. Duke gave a small sigh of disappointment and shoved the thing in his pocket. Pegasus bent his head down and reached for his artificial eye. Jou felt his insides twist up again. _What have I gotten into?_

"What exactly do you want from me, Pegasus?" Jou inquired as he heard the wince and pop come from the man's eye socket. Pegasus ignored him for the moment. He took the pure gold container and held it, rotating it around once. Then with an "Aha!" he picked up the golden eye, placing it carefully on the top of the box.

A small, orange light emitted from the eye. Jou's orbs took in the light as it melted into a white flash. His bandaged hand flew up to cover the brightness. The teen blinked seeing stars for a second. "You," Pegasus commanded, "Will take me here." Jou dazedly looked up to see an old papyrus scroll. The wording on it read…

**Valley of the Damned.**

Some Time Later

Jou was grumbling to himself as the camel lurched forward. His eyes scanned over the scroll one more time. "Alright! Stop your camels here!" he called to Pegasus. The director eyed him, before painfully stopping his camel. It made a grunt and paused where it stood. Jou turned to see Tristan and Duke roughly pull at the ropes Bakura and Ryou were tied to.

Jou gave a growl at them and sent his friends an apologetic look. Ryou gave him a small smile; Bakura just whispered insults under his breath. Then Ryou came into another coughing fit. Jou flinched away at the pathetic sight. "There better be a solid gold necklace for us Pegasus," Jou threatened. Pegasus merely flipped his long hair over his shoulder.

"And the Valley had better be here," the man warned. Tristan chortled and gripped on to Bakura's rope. Jou felt his blood boil despite the cold air around him. He huffed and turned his head to face the canyon the dried desert crests completed. The stars began to fade as the pink glow kept up from behind the sands. Inch by inch the ball of gasses and fire rose behind them. The sand was going from dusty brown to a bright bronze.

"Here it comes!" Duke narrated with a high voice. Ryou looked around unsure. Jou trained his eyes on the point ahead of him. Dawn flooded over him and then… The camels began baying and rocking backward. Pegasus made a noise and clung on to his animal.

Jou shushed his camel, noticing the sands parting at their feet. He gasped and eyes flew up to the Valley. Before their very gazes, pillars erupted from the earth and into the sky. Statues of the Gods crawled after them. One by one, the buildings of the shrines climbed out. Last, the tombs of Damned stood lingering over them all. The blonde's camel soon subsided.

"Amazing…" Pegasus gaped. Jou could merely find the strength to nod. Then defiance struck him hard in the chest as Pegasus eyed him intensely for a moment.

"Welcome," the boy accosted, "To the Valley of the Damned." Jou kicked his camel into action, hoping to get far away from that maddening gold orb. While he trotted into the place, there was a feeling that this was not the end of the story yet.

Scene Change

"How are you guys holding up?" Jou asked once the camp was made for the night. Pegasus had spent all day searching for something. Even though they came to the treasure room, full of so many expensive and beautiful things, the man was still not satisfied.

They had to settle down by the time the stuffiness of the midday gave way to the chilling breeze of twilight. They pitched up tents and fires just about ten yards from the main burial chamber in the center of the ruined gorge. Dozens of slabs of plastered columns were scattered across the grounds.

"I've been out of breath. But I'm doing better now." Ryou said with a tiny smile and a shiver, causing the blond to jump out of his dusty thoughts. Jou patted him on his silky head. Bakura remained silent though. Jou sighed, expecting no less. Ryou was huddled up in a blanket and Bakura was fuming right next to him, soup bowl in hand.

They sat back for a while, just gazing at the twinkling lights hovering above them by millions of miles. Living in the big and hurried cities, the boy never saw a sky so full of stars. So lovely... It seemed surreal and they felt unworthy of its glory. Jou felt his orbs drop to the sand at his feet. He was beginning to suspect Pegasus was hiding something, and that was a very bad thing when it came to his friends' lives.

"Hey Jou," Ryou whispered shyly. Jou looked up to see his eyes a little sleepy and confused. "Do you know what these walls say? The pictures look really sad." The boy was busy try to read one of the pillars across from their tent. Jou followed his look, eyes raking over the glyphs. Mental images and words came to Jou's head as he translated them.

"It says that only one person is buried here." Jou translated softly. Bakura looked up from his poorly cooked dinner.

"Only one?" he asked without thinking. Jou nodded. Then a quiet filled them only to be broken when the youngest of the three yawned. Jou pulled himself up, brushing off his pants.

"You guys get to bed. We have stuff to do in the morning," he told them quietly. Then he walked into the shadows, disappearing like he was only a tired dream.

Sometime in the Afternoon

Jou was shoved up to another wall, a large hand roughly pushed between his shoulder blades. There was a moment for the boy to adjust to the closeness of the picture-graphs. "What does it say?" Pegasus demanded. Jou sighed and felt like banging his head on the wall just to piss off the Curator.

"It says that there a chamber down the corridor. It was used for mummification," Jou drawled. Pegasus mumbled and threw the boy down another corridor. He snapped those bony fingers, making the bodyguard drag Ryou and Bakura down the corridor with him. "Tell me what you are searching for. I could find it easily if I knew what it was!" His voice was growing louder in irritation. The hallways were stuffy and smelled of very old oils; Jou felt his stomach bubble in nausea

"Read this one! It looks younger than the rest of the place," Pegasus ordered. Jou rolled his eyes. He blinked as he realized Pegasus was right. This wall **was** younger by a few centuries. Honey eyes traveled over the glyphs and he could probably trace the year to roughly the time of the Pharaoh Yami.

_Just like the box with the map…_ Jou opened his mouth and slowly said the words in Egyptian to himself to be sure he had the meanings right. Pegasus stomped his foot expectantly. Jou leapt and quickly looked over to the man. "Well?" the director inquired nastily.

"The glyphs tell the story of a Priest," Jou explained, knees quaking for some reason. Pegasus smirked in victory. The teen glanced back to the wall, fingers whispering over them, dust and cobwebs tickling his soft pads. "Tells you who he was born to and how he grew up. He seems average."

Pegasus nods. Jou gulped and nodded, crossing the room, looking for the next chapter in the story. It took them nearly an hour to find it. Pegasus threw Jou in front of the partition. Jou quickly decoded the glyphs with ease. "He was an advisor to Pharaoh Yami!" Jou read excitedly.

The air around the group of people was humming with anticipation.

Jou ran down another corridor, eyes scanning for the next page to this fairy tale. Pegasus sprinted after the boy, also equally energized. The blonde's orbs scanned hallway after hallway before coming to another panel. The teen was reading the passage with wide eyes. He turned back to Pegasus, "He turned out to be a traitor…"

Pegasus watched the boy before waving at him. The male knew it was a sign to start looking again. The body guards caught up lazily, the two pastel haired brothers close behind. The man with one golden eye flicked his head toward the figure of Jou turning a corner. Soon, they all took off to go find the next part of the narrative.

Jou huffed and puffed, running around but not finding anything else in the twisted rows of hedges in an adobe labyrinth. It seemed those few panels were the only ones the priest had. He didn't know how many hours had been wasted. The wind was blowing cold enough to bite off a nose, so it had to be sometime after sunset. The teen sighed and bent over an ill placed statue of Anubis.

As he was catching his breath, the sight of his friends came into view. Bakura tugged along Ryou and they came to Jou's side, sitting in the sand. Pegasus sauntered over; the guards were lagging behind. With one flick of stormy locks, he knew there was nothing there. "That's all the glyphs you'll find on this priest, Pegasus," Jou panted. The Curator shook his head.

"No… I don't think so," he responded. Jou stared at the old man as he walked up to the statue. Pegasus pulled back his hair, and once again, there came the wince and pop of his golden eye. Jou scrambled up as the keeper sauntered over to Anubis and pressed the fake eye in a small hole Jou hadn't noticed.

He blinked as a hiss of air sounded from behind the statue. Then, slowly, the figure pulled back. The dust and sand had flown up in the air, swirling around in unplanned intricate designs. The teen stood at the opening of a dark corridor. "A secret passage…" Jou breathed. All three boys exchanged looks. Things were defiantly out of their hands now.

Pegasus popped his eye back in. He pushed Jou and the boy stumbled into the passage way. He quickly righted himself and began the trek into the sinister darkness of the path. Pegasus threw him a flashlight and Jou made a grunt of thanks. As they were walking Jou just had to know…

"How did you lose your eye anyway?" The blond peeked up at the gentlemen before realizing the man was thinking

"It is a long story. A story a young boy should never hear," he finally replied. The long was gray hair hiding his expression. For a moment, in the dark and musty tunnel, Jou pitied the Museum Director. Silently, as his foot fell across a doorway to a room, Jou decided that it wasn't a story for him to hear. _There are much bigger things to worry about… _Jou thought as his eyes drifted over the room.

"Oh shit," was Bakura response. Ryou nodded, wide eyed and coughed just a little. Tristan and Duke gawked. Pegasus entered and swung his arms around.

"At last!" he exclaimed, "This is what I have been searching for!" A malevolent laughter escaped the eldest man's mouth. His golden eye glinted behind strands of stormy hair. "You!" he immediately snapped at the body guards. They went rigid, waiting for a command. "Help me look for the book!" The two men saluted, shooting off, leaving the albino teens to themselves. Bakura let out a breath of relief and began to shove golden items in his pockets.

The room was expansive; huge and full of many priceless artifacts ripe for the taking. Bakura was practically giggling to himself while Ryou just took it in for a moment. The boy spied Pegasus and the body guards weave about the area. There seemed to be something stuck in the middle of the room, a large jackal character standing over it. It made the silver haired lad gulp just looking at it.

He turned back to Jou, just then noticing as Jou traced his fingers over the pictures scribbled on the walls. "J-Jou?" Ryou stuttered. Bakura looked up at the frightened voice. Jou paused, finger lingering on a glyph. He twisted around pale faced and eyes enormous. Bakura dropped a few jewels on the ground.

"What is it?" the older teen's tone left no room for sugar coating. Jou glimpsed over to Pegasus then back to his friends.

"We shouldn't be here," he clarified, voice threatening to crack. Bakura's brow came down violently. Jou felt goose bumps rise on his arms, prickling his flawless skin. "This priest was sentenced to suffer mummification alive. They sealed up his soul to stay in his decaying body. Anyone who dares awaken him… will die."

"Jou… It's not real. That can't happen. Plus, why would Pegasus want to awaken a dead guy?" Bakura joked, trying to ease his tension. Some how though, Bakura could have sworn he was seeing his misty breath as the words left his mouth. Ryou looked between the two, unsure of what to do.

"'Kura… If you awaken the mummy and survive, you are bound to him… and all his powers," the Egyptian learned one stated, eyes sweeping over to Pegasus, as he stood by the sarcophagus in the middle of the room. The older brother's heart suddenly dropped from his stomach.

"Jou…" Pegasus called in a sing song voice. The boy felt his spine straighten. "C'mere." Jou slowly made his way to the man. Ryou reached out to grab a hold of the blonde's arm. Jou stilled for a second. Then he bent his head a little.

"You and Bakura hide. This could get nasty," Jou advised him quietly continuing toward Pegasus. He heard the tiny feet scamper over to Bakura. There was a shuffling as they went to conceal themselves behind the support beams of the chamber. The Curator wouldn't care though. No, that crazy bastard shoved a book at Jou. The blond let out a puff of breath as it was shoved into his diaphragm.

Jou had looked down at the book. It was old, dusty, and felt terribly heavy. Yet at the same time it was warm and leathery, almost like the skin of a creature long past death. Identifying it quickly, the young man stared back up to the golden eyed man in disbelief. The man nodded.

"It is the Book of the Dead. Now I want you to read the passage to bring back the damned," he demanded without some much as a blink. Jou held the book close to his chest, already losing the will to take in fresh gulps of oxygen.

"If I refuse?" the blond dared to ask. Pegasus laughed manically and walked around Jou tauntingly. Fingers reached out and brushed away the hair covering the boy's ear.

"Surely you wouldn't be that stupid?" the man posed. Jou struggled for some way out of this situation by pulling the book closer to his body, though he knew that it was one of the problems. His heart felt like it wouldn't stop icing over.

"Please don't make me do this…" Jou pleaded feebly. Pegasus clucked at him and slowly brought his hands to rest on Jou's shoulders. The blond bit his lip and shut his eyes tight to keep from crying. _I don't want to die! _

Pegasus had pressed behind the boy and gripped the orphan's banged up hands. Jou felt his arms being pulled out from their tight position on his breast in a deceptively gentle motion. Circling his skeletal digits around the scratched up ones, the Book of the Damn was opened carefully. Jou felt so very, very used as the pages were sonorously turned. Eventually the gentlemen came to a halt.

"Read it…" he commanded softly. It caused Jou to choke on his own saliva. His clouded amber eyes opened up to stare at the hieroglyphs. They were beginning to form words in his mind as clear as day. "Go on." So Jou felt his mouth form the words slowly his orbs misted.

Jou felt some thing spark inside him, drawing out and flowing off his tongue. The words tasted bitter and the room began to grow dim. The gold didn't glitter, and the air was thick with something; a fog of something unnatural and horribly real. When the last word came off Jou's full lips, the room sung.

It started with a pulse. It shook the room and all its occupants. Their very essence was pulled out and elongated to the point where it flung back like tight rubber band. A rumbled caused them all to jump. Then there was a bang… and in a flash, a violet light consumed the room, causing them to see nothing. A loud burst and one more bang sounded just in front of Jou.

Jou felt himself lose all sense of reality. The lid of the coffin had flow off and shot passed them, scattering dozen of treasures. But the boy couldn't care less for the worldly possession that caused so many good men to become fiends. Instead, the blond was much more captivated by the rotting, moss brown flesh of what was once a hand coming to lay of it's own accord on the side of the sarcophagus.

In the swirling dust fairies reflected by the light off the gold, a silhouette arose. Dead, decaying flesh of what may have been a tanned man was stretched across fractured bones. What was left of mahogany color hair dangled in a stringy manner; ancient linen from the bandages was eaten away and hanging limply about the monster. "God help me…" Jou breathed as his bronze orbs locked with unholy ice blue.

But God was not there. No, not in the Valley of the Damned.

**TBC**

**A/N:** Oh wow. This is a weird one. It's going weird places. FEED BACK PLEASE!


	2. Chapter Two

**UPDATED AS OF January 8, 2008: **Finally up is the revised version of Chapter Two. Three might be revised as well as four. Five will, more than likely, be left as is. Anyways—ENJOY!

**A/N: **I don't really know where this is going. Hopefully this chappie is long too.

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:** A boy accidentally gets himself mixed up in a supernatural battle ground. He awakens a mummy with a harsh past, and is now bound to him! What's the poor kid going to do now?

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Egyptian**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Two**

Jou felt his breathing nearly stop. Or maybe he was never really breathing to begin with. The boy squirmed in Pegasus's arms. Panic was ensuing inside Jou. He never wanted anything more than to just run away. He didn't want to see this hideous creature he awoke to raise it's self from its sarcophagus, the way its bones had popped and ground together while moving.

Pegasus gripped tightly, hurting the child in his arms as the golden eye glinted fiercely at the monster. With a sweep of its icy blue eyes, it knew instantly it was no longer in its time. Confusion raked over the disgusting features of what could be its face. It focused its gaze on the young boy trapped against an older male; the only one who emanated the salty tang of fear.

He was a blond… at first it threw the priest. The face, the hair, and the pale body. It looked very… The only difference was the eyes. Honey colored, but bronze in terror. The others he did not recognize. Two men dressed head to foot in black. The leader, as he seemed to be, had long graying hair and one golden eye.

The Priest felt his eyes narrow dangerously. **"What is you name?"** the deep, unearthly voice of the monster rang out in the room. Pegasus glared down at the struggling teen in his hands.

"What did he say?" he commanded. Jou shook his head vehemently. The rising emotions clawed at him. Pegasus squeezed hard and Jou let a cry.

"Your name! He wants to know your name!" Jou tasted the brine as it streaked down his face. Pegasus smiled and stroked the boy's hair. He eye went back to the horrible thing in front of them.

"Pegasus," he annunciated loudly. The creature watched this all with intrigue. He glance lingered on the boy holding the book close to his chest.

"**The year?"** he questioned, voice making the blond shudder. The stormy haired man bit his nails into Jou's flesh. Jou bit his lip to keep from screaming.

"The year," he translated with a clench in his stomach. Pegasus nodded an approving way.

"It is 2006, Priest Seto." Pegasus explained. The Priest cocked his head to the side questioningly. The older man knew his name. How strange. Pegasus bent lower to breathe into Jou's ear. "Translate it." Jou screwed up his eyes in concentration.

"**Please don't harm me. I didn't wish to wake you. It was all Pegasus. He's going to kill my friends. Please, please don't harm us! He tricked us; he's going to use you!" **Jou shouted. The Priest felt himself smirk. He figured the boy was probably the only one who could actually speak and read his language. Pegasus gripped harder to the boy's body.

"What are you saying?" he growled. Jou shook his head and tried to brake from the grip.

"**Why are you betraying your master?"** Seto inquired. Pegasus looked between the two, fury rising slowly.

"Shut up! Just translate what I tell you!" he demanded, the body guards quickly snapping to attention.

"**He's not my master! He's the damned devil!"** Jou screamed. He began kicking and throwing his weight when the body guards gripped onto his legs. Finally Pegasus had had enough.

"GET THE BRATS!" he commanded, voice echoing across the golden room.

"NO! DAMIT LET GO OF ME!" Jou shouted. Tristan dashed to the back of the room. Jou scrunched up his eyes and began to furiously attack anyone within two feet. Seto watched as a silver haired boy was dragged across the room, coughing and tugging with all his strength. Another white haired boy tried to help, but was hit hard in the head with something metal and black.

Jou couldn't see over Pegasus's shoulders but he heard Ryou scream out his older brother's name fervently. Ryou was brought, pleading to be let go. Jou felt his heart race as the boy was dropped in front of the creature. Ryou sat, paralyzed by fear, eyes growing wide. His shoulders were shuddering and his breath was wheezing. "Don't do this Pegasus! He's sick! PLEASE!" Jou begged.

Pegasus merely snorted. He nodded to the body guard. A malicious grin spread over his face, and quickly, he pulled out a gun. Jou stopped his thrashing immediately. The room grew still, the wind didn't move and the smell of old death lingered. Seto felt his gaze bore into the stormy haired ones. The eldest living man whispered things into the blonde's ear. The Priest knew that whatever it was it would not bode well.

"**What is it the devil tells you?"** Seto questioned. Honey eyes stared at deeper blue ones. The teen's vision was so blurred by tears; he could almost make out the human form of Seto. In his state of despair he forgot that Seto was judging them.

"**He'll kill my friend if I don't translate…"** the boy breathed out. The priest looked past the heartbroken figure to watch Pegasus. Pegasus was utterly amused.

The man was gently running his fingers over the boy's bandaged hands. His voice was quietly commanding Jou to do what he said. The mummy felt the tension increase tenfold when the blond began to wriggle and shiver wildly. In these few minutes, Seto did not know English, but he could guess Pegasus was threatening the boy. With a flick of the head, the other man dressed in black had rushed to the unconscious male across the room.

With low footsteps, and strangled cries of protest, the white haired boy was laid down in front of the monster; who took in the two children before him, helpless, and seemingly dying. The younger one was clutching on to his brother, foolishly trying to shield him. The blond, Seto noted, was under strain as Pegasus ruthlessly ran his nails down the boy's flesh. At this, the priest noticed his hackles rise.

Finally Jou mutter a noise of submission, hunched over the golden eyed man's arms. **"He says… You are… You can take one of them."** The teen announced hollowly. The priest stood and blinked. This Pegasus was giving him one of the boys? Does he not understand the rule of waking the damned?

"**You say I can take one of the boys?" **the mummy clarified, eyes steeling and rancid breath washing out the room. Jou felt his head lift slowly. Quietly he asked Pegasus the question. Pegasus delicately stroked the flesh below Jou's collarbone. Again, the action made the priest want to lash out. Finally Pegasus nodded.

"Take who ever you want," he stated, eyes never leaving Seto's gaze. At this, a twisted smirk lit the mummy's face. His ancient coat fluttered as he swept over the white haired teens, their eyes closed in anticipation. The creature paid no attention to them as he halted in front of Pegasus.

Long, decrypted fingers with flesh still rotting, were held out just at Jou's face. The boy shivered and gave a small whimper in the back of his throat. Excitement tore through the mummy, making the air grow denser. Pegasus stepped back unsure, but the priest stood waiting. Pegasus could not understand the action and finally snapped. His hand darted out and pushed away the ancient's.

"What do want?" he snarled, breath making small white puffs of air in the tomb. The Priest's smile did not fade in the least. He simply put his hand down, resting it at his side. Jou watched him move, if only a fraction closer, to the man and himself.

"I want the blond," the accursed Priest's voiced loudly, commanding all in the room with shock. Pegasus looked at Jou and then the monster. He eyes flickered to the two white haired ones on the floor. Then back to his body guards, almost still as stone with fear trickling in their bellies.

"W-What?" he gasped. Jou felt the hands on him twitch and he screwed his eyes tight to keep the feeling of needles away. The Priest only held out his hand again.

"I said I want the blond," Seto simplified. Pegasus felt the room grow smaller, the air grow hotter, and his body seemed squeezed between a rock and a hard place. If the teen in his arms could have known, he would have asked the man if he liked the taste of his own medicine. But alas, he was too numb to even think properly.

Pegasus felt the boy in his arms stir to leave again. The stormy haired man growled, he latched on the teen's chin. It forced Jou too be pushed back painfully and up against a chest with no escape. "I found him! He's mine!" the man shouted, teeth bared in a fight. All sanity had gone from his tone and features. The twisted mess of rotting lips smirked at the irony.

Like a lighting bolt, the creature moved out. Pegasus gasped and went rigid as icy blue orbs were the only sight he could see. Weight had been pulled from the lunatic grasp he had on the blond. The boy felt his skin tingle when touched by the decaying flesh of the mummy. But all fight was drained out of him and he collapsed onto the board chest of Seto.

Pegasus let out a shriek as the popping sound came from his eye socket. Fingers, the old disgusting boned fingers, had ripped out his golden eye. There was a slow speed as the man floated toward the ground littered in glistening jewels. His body made a thump, spreading out a wave of collected dirt and billowing up into the wind.

A moment of clear dread strung the air taunt. The clatters rang out as heavy feet slid over meaningless objects. Tristan was running for the open passage way. He looked back to find the grinning mummy over his shoulder. It made the body guard panic and move his feet faster. A pathetic move, because as he did this, he failed to watch were he was going and tripped. Tristan impaled himself on a spear of a golden statue of a warrior.

Duke's eyes were wide as he took in the scene before him. Slowly, he made his way to the door. Those cold fires of blue orbs followed him as he made it safely to the passage. Once he was sure the mummy would do him no harm, he took off down the corridor. A screech pierced the air from the darkness of the tunnel. The priest was still smiling.

Jou was whispering frantically to himself, trying to calm his heart. His eyes were closing too fast, and he was afraid of tumbling into darkness for all eternity. Carefully, the creature pressed his arm over Jou's frame and turned around. A swish cut the air, and the monster put out his arm just in time to catch a blow from a golden scepter.

"Give us back Jou," Bakura gritted through his teeth, awake now with blood slowly weeping from a gash just above his eye. His breathing was harsh and he pulled back his weapon. The priest just laughed at the boys hopeless antics.

"Bakura…" Jou warned out of breath. He was held firmly against the deathly body of Seto, but he still tried to writhe his way out. "Please run…" the tired boy begged.

Bakura shook his head and lifted up his item like a bat. His breathing was erratic and angry. No—not angry. It went beyond anger. Bakura felt so helpless, so useless. He had gotten Jou into this situation. Mummy be damned! Bakura would not leave Jou to be condemned for his stupidity.

"I'll be fine… Please run," he tried, tone growing weaker, his fingers curling around the book he forgot he held. Bakura's grip tightened on his weapon, his fingertips slowly turning white. Seto's eyes never left Bakura's glower. No, he was enjoying the lad's inner turmoil too much.

"**I beg of you… They have nothing to do with you… Let them go."** The boy pleaded. He turned his eyes to the mummy. Jou felt himself slipping away somehow. The book grew heavier in his hands. His digits were growing clammy and the item slid down a few inches. **"Please… Take me instead."** As his plea left his mouth, the book fell to the floor in a hard clang. Pages had fallen open, old words scattering and littering Jou's brain. Seto glanced at Jou, and the boy's weight gave out. He would have hit the ground, if the priest had not safely caught Jou in his arms. Bakura step forward but wavered when the undead creature had turned back to Bakura.

"What have you done to him?" Bakura snarled.

"Nothing. He was the one who woke me," Seto answered in his gravelly voice. Blue fire caught the dark brown eyes for a moment. The unease and hatred were almost palpable. "To give life to the dead means to take it away from some other life. He is that other life."

"Save him!" he shouted, hand fisted at his side.

"It doesn't work that way," the Priest scoffed and held up the blond. Ryou stood shaking on the floor. Carefully, he eased his way to the book on the floor. Bakura was too busy glaring at the mummy to notice. The teen's finger's brushed against the words on the pages.

Out of no where a hand clamped down on his pale wrist. Ryou let out a scream and tried to pull back. Bakura wiped around as Ryou was crushed into the chest of Pegasus, his eye wide, blood leaking from an empty eye socket. Seto calmly stared at the crazed man. "YOU WILL OBEY ME!" he shouted.

"I think not," he growled, eyes narrowing; his hold on the blond had unconsciously tightened. The ground began to tumble. Bakura's head spun around as the walls and pillars groaned. The lights were dimming quickly and a putrid smell filled the golden room. Ryou whimpered and tried to dislodge himself from the maniac grip; Pegasus ground his palms into the boy' shoulders.

"You wouldn't dare kill an innocent!" he exclaimed, far pass any sanity he held earlier. Seto laughed in a shuddering baritone.

"If he awakened me, I will!" Seto declared. In his sleep, Jou had reached up and wrapped his arms around the priest's neck. His monstrous eyes widened and his power faltered. The ground leapt from under the men in the chamber. It caused Pegasus to roll back and release Ryou into Bakura's arms. The teen held him close, so close Ryou could hear the fluttering heart beat. Bakura stood them up shakily. Jou's hands had loosened and he was limply being held by Seto's confused frame.

"You will give us back our friend!" Bakura demanded and extended his hand in front of the creature. Their eyes were boring into each other from across glittering treasures. Ryou hugged tight to his brother's arm. Jou's breath ghosted over Seto's neck. For an instant, he almost felt flesh and blood again.

"Run!" he rasped, dusty bronze orbs had turned to the two white haired boys. Seto looked down at the boy. The boy turned back to his iced eyes. With a foolish grin, Jou reached up and whispered in his ear. Seto's face fell at the words, the top of the roof, began to cave. The two brothers backed up as a brink of plaster separated them.

A roar was sent out rumbling the whole desert it felt. With a mourned look, Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and ran for the opening of the secret passage. There was nothing he could do for Jou now. He only hoped the boy knew what he was doing. Also, he wondered if the blond would survive…

"Bakura!" Ryou shouted pointing up. The eyes were thrown up as he saw the pricking of falling stalagmites. Quickly he launched his feet into another corridor. The dirt crashed around him and scattered debris everywhere. Ryou shuddered, lungs almost closing. Bakura swiftly lifted his brother up and carried him down the passages.

He could feel the time running shorter. His feet blindly speed him around circles of this old maze. Ryou gasped and held on for dear life. "Bakura- the door is closing!" Ryou exclaimed.

Bakura's legs zinged and his eyes confirmed Ryou was truthful. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, he shot off to the door that would opened them to the passage into the deep maze of the Valley of the Dead's final resting chamber of the Priest, which sat on top of the hill. _Ain't that just peachy keen_?

The huge russet entrance was coming up fast, but not fast enough. Finally, with all the strength the lad possessed, his feet had leapt off the ground. He tucked in his brother and rolled along the soil. He felt the rush of air, and the new light hit his eyes in a glare. Bakura swung his feet in as the tip of his shoe brushed over the edge of the wall.

He was panting and rolling coming to a stop soon as the door crumbled in. The silver haired boy had groggily looked up. The last few stars were twinkling in the dewy sky. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Safe, they were safe. A slight shudder from under him made his body snap up.

A line of sand was falling downward in a spiral.

With a grunt he heaved Ryou to his feet. Ryou cried out as he was tugged down a road of the Valley. They twisted around building, once more escaping the rumbling noises and evading the crashing stones from above them and around their feet. After what seemed to drag on for hours, the gate came into view.

Bakura grinned and practically collided into the ground before the entrance of the Valley. Ryou squeaked as his body was pushed under his older brother's. The sounds of hell kept going on around their trembling forms. With a last bang of the falling gates and the blast of sand that hit the teens, everything ended.

'Kura had finally dared to utter a sigh of relief and satisfaction. His body bent up with a proud smirk. Now, they were safe. His eyes popped open and black metal met his vision while the sound of a safety click met his ears. Ryou groaned and held on to his brother. "Can't a guy get a brake already?" Bakura muttered.

The first rays of the sun were filling blond highlights. A tan Egyptian man with violet eyes stared hard at the young boys on the floor. "Do you even know what you've done?" he asked exasperated. Ryou looked from the gun to Bakura, who was slumped almost uncaring now.

"Yeah… But the question is- do you know?" Bakura asked. The Egyptian nodded tired, his gun spun around in his palm before he clicked onto a belt.

"You better start explaining kid," The violet eyed man warned. Bakura nodded wearily. He and Ryou stood; a wave of sand blew around them as a helicopter touched down in front of them.

"You first," the elder albino responded.

After an Hour or So

"So you knew about the monster?" Ryou's interest piqued almost ten fold when he found out that the violet eyed man was THE Malik and he did more than run a mafia ("Of sorts; we prefer organization against the laws," Malik had told them). Bakura on the other hand, found none of the stuff so enlightening.

"My clan was the body guards of the Pharaoh. We protect all the tombs. Of course we knew about the monster," he answered matter of factly while folding his hands neatly in his lap. Bakura sighed and let his eyes roam over the landscape from his window. Ryou pulled up his knees to listen to the Clan leader.

"The monster, as you call him, is (or I should say was) an old legend passed down only to the name of the Ishtars. At least I thought it so," Malik added sullen, he eyes darkening. "The creature you met was once a high priest. The story goes he betrayed the Pharaoh."

"What did he do?" Ryou interrupted. Malik momentarily glared but then sighed and shrugged.

"That part of the story is lost," he admitted. Bakura let out a laugh, almost, but it turned into a snort.

"That's comforting, now isn't it, Ryou?" the teen mumbled. Ryou glanced sideways sheepishly. The mafia boss also carefully watched Bakura, however, he made no other remarks.

"Of course, the Pharaoh found out about his friend. He was so outraged, so broken, he punished the priest to be erased from history… to remain a legend." Malik's voice drawled out the story. "He mummified him alive, placed with a curse—if you were to waken him you'd be judged. You would most likely die and end up spending eternity with his soul."

"Then why would Pegasus try to awaken him?" Ryou asked. At this, Malik frowned.

"Because… as outraged as the Pharaoh was, he still held a small kernel of loyalty to the Priest. He let it be that only one person would be able to awaken Seto. They would be bound and the mortal would have unlimited power while Seto had a chance to become mortal once more," the man tried to explain. Ryou looked down at his lap. Bakura tightened his hands, knuckles turning white.

"The chance that our friend survived?" Bakura finally asked, unable to say Jou's name. Malik looked at them with a somber face.

"I'm sorry… But he is dead." Malik replied. Bakura's grip had released and he fell against the window pane. _I thought so… _There was a quiet that wrapped around the three occupants. Finally Ryou coughed and Malik patted his back sympathetically. Ryou nodded that he was fine and Malik went back to his original seat.

"Mr. Malik?" Ryou tenderly started. "I was wondering… Pegasus had this golden eye… What is it?" Malik's eyes widened.

"A golden eye?" He murmured. Bakura's gaze flew to the Egyptian. His head lifted from the cool glass.

"Is there something you forgot to mention Malik?" Bakura growled. Malik looked up at his harsh voice. With a slight grunt, the blond had rubbed his face with his hands.

"This golden eye…" Malik narrated. "It's one of the few items that would make the mummy mortal." Ryou's eyes nearly popped out while Bakura scrunched his brows.

"I don't get it. If Pegasus wanted power, why bring the creature something that makes him human?" Bakura inquired.

"Well, for one, he might have bribed the mummy with the gift of humanity if the mummy did everything Pegasus wanted," Malik suggested. Bakura could assume it was very close to the truth. Malik on the other hand didn't look too happy. "However… each item to give the mummy back his mortality can also be used to create longer life for the mortal who's wielding it."

Bakura winced and Malik nodded his agreement with the sentiment. Ryou was too busy looking at his lap to really see. "If that's true though… Pegasus is still alive," Ryou pointed out. Bakura blinked and looked at his younger brother. The Egyptian tilted his head to the boy.

"What makes you say that?" he questioned.

"Yeah, the mummy killed him remember?" Bakura recounted. Ryou bit his lip and shook his head. Malik glanced between the two brothers.

"Jou stopped him Bakura… to save me… to save us…" Ryou slowly began to cry. Bakura quickly got up and pulled Ryou into him, whispering sweet words. Bakura's memory came back a little clearer.

"Pegasus had been ripped away from my brother," Bakura told Malik mutely. Malik nodded for the white haired one to continue. "I didn't pay attention to him after that. I just wanted J—my friend back." The teen breathed deeply. Malik didn't move to comfort the boy, knowing it would be of no use anyways.

"Now that I think about it… The camels we had ridden to get to the Valley were gone. None were running out with us. We left them right by the entrance, and tied up no less..." Bakura recalled, his voice going grim with each word. Ryou nodded, growing excited but ended up rocking back and forth when a coughing fit had seized him.

"Pegasus is still out there. I doubt he will give up quest for power," the blond finished that thought for him. The adult was fishing through his pockets for something. It turned out to be a cell phone. He dialed a number, waited for the answer, and spoke some Arabic into it. After a few minutes, Malik closed the shiny black phone.

"What is going to happen to us?" Ryou asked shakily. Bakura's deep brown orbs looked into Ryou's emerald ones. Bakura couldn't find a sufficient answer. Malik laughed and the boy's gaze went to him.

"Isn't it obvious?" the weirdo teased. In his hands he held a gun. Bakura spun his brother behind him, a rumble deep in his throat.

But instead of pointing it at the boys, he flipped it over and handed it to Bakura. Bakura looked down at the guns and back up to Malik. Malik sighed and picked up Bakura's hands, clasping them on to the weapon. "You're… I don't get it." Bakura answered.

"You think I'm heartless enough to keep a pair of orphans on the street? Especially a sick little guy?" Malik scoffed and kicked up his feet. Ryou loosening his tight back bone. Bakura held the gun with care.

"You're… letting us join your clan?" he asked disbelieving. Malik gave a huge grin and winked in a manner that was close to flirtatious.

"Yup!" he exclaimed. Bakura looked at him like he was crazy making Malik sigh. "Listen kid, my clan has been dwindling this last century. With Pegasus, so far the only person to awaken the most deadly creature in our myths, out there on the loose, I need all the help I can get."

"So, we're like a last resort," Bakura raised a brow. Malik gave a bark of laughter and shook his head no.

"Nah, I just like ya. Plus, you guys are exactly what we're looking for," Malik said with a stupid goofy face. Ryou rolled his eyes good-naturedly. The older brother was less amused. But what other choice did they have?

With a heavy sigh Bakura questioned, "What exactly will we be doing?" Malik was practically giddy, clapping his hands like a little ten year old at Halloween.

"Well, Bakura, you are perfect for reconnaissance! We'll start training you immediately," he informed. The white haired one settled back. Ryou hopped in front of the older one.

"And what about me?" he queried hyper. Malik grinned as he thought about it.

"First, we got to get you some medical attention. I take care of my clan," Malik said haughtily. Ryou beamed as he thought about it. He would be healthy.

"You seem to be the brains to your brother's brawn…" Malik noted. With a snap of his fingers he sat up excited. "Since I've been talking to my brother about an intelligence installation, you can be our first recruit to it!" the Egyptian was almost bouncing in his seat. Ryou cocked his head.

"Intelligence like research and stuff?" he inquired. Malik nodded with a pearly white smile.

Bakura scoffed, mumbling things like, "What a dork… some clan, they don't even have an intelligence agency…" Malik gave him a quick frown. He turned back to a bemused Ryou.

"You'd spend most of your time with hieroglyphs. We'll have to teach you," he continued.

"Great! Jou is teaching—" Ryou halted abruptly. Bakura's face turned back out to the window. "I mean… my friend was teaching me," he corrected soon enough. Malik looked between the two boys, silent for an appropriate time. _So his name was Jou…_ the clan leader thought. _Poor boys have been through so much…_

"I guess it's settled then!" Malik said with a slap on his knee. Ryou recovered with a tired smile. Bakura wouldn't look away from the vast golden desert. The mafia boss sighed after the pilot told them they had to stop for fuel. Ryou yawned and leaned back against his brother's arm, who then absently stroked his younger sibling's palm.

"Now, you kids sleep. You've been through a lot, and you still have a lot more to get through." Malik ordered in a light way, watching them for a minute before getting up. Ryou hummed and was almost asleep immediately. Bakura never responded. He just continued to take in the scenery. It was close to dark when Malik got back.

Ryou was snoring lightly. Bakura was softly thumbing his new weapon, but his lazy smile wouldn't leave his younger brother's face. The blond awed mentally at the sight. Bakura didn't look up as Malik took his old seat.

"I have an older brother, you know?" Malik confessed. Bakura didn't respond again. Malik gave a soft chuckle. "You remind me of him." He tilted his chin up in though. "Except for the fact you are a lot more sober" he added. Then he held his hand over his heart. "Jou must have been like another brother to you…" The thumb paused its trail over the handle of the weapon.

"I'm going to kill Pegasus for condemning him, even if it's the last thing I do," Bakura calmly vowed. His thumb went back to moving slowly over the pistol. Malik threw him a solemn look. He had to brake away though, he couldn't stand the sight. Malik found an ache for his brother.

"I know Bakura," the male whispered. "I know." There was a silent flight over the dead sands of the earth broken only by sorrow.

The Valley of the Damned

There was this lone little falcon. It had been a few days since it last ate. When it saw the sands begin to bubble up it thought, _sand snake? Under ground mouse? FOOD!_ Thus it shot off to the desert plain. Circling once, it dove and sat on the surface of the sand. Its head turn to the side and it blinked. A great big hand burst up and hit the ground.

It cawed in surprise and flew up. _Not food…_ It thought sadly as it went to go find something else. While the bird was doing that, bodies had crawled up out of the ground. One was the lithe body of a teen age blond and the other was the golden brown of an ancient Egyptian priest brought back to life through magic.

"**You stupid human! Damn dog…"** the brunet cursed as he coughed out sand. The blond on the other hand, lie panting for breath.

"Shut up. We're alive aren't we?" the boy huffed out. He sneezed when the sun hit his nose. "And don't call me a dog!" The Priest gave him an icy glare and brushed his body of sand.

"**If you hadn't uttered that damn sleeping spell, I wouldn't have reason to call you a dog,"** Seto retorted. Jou sighed and covered his eyes from the blazing ball.

"Well, if you hadn't tried to kill my friends after I begged countless times to spare them- I wouldn't have done it!" Jou shouted. Seto's blue eyes found the effort to roll.

"**I suppose you're lucky that falling roof stopped the rest of the spell. Otherwise we would have been sleeping longer than a day,"** The mummy said reluctantly. Jou scoffed and looked over at the older man. He tilted his head to see his companion better.

"Why do you look human?" he asked after a moment. Indeed the "man" did ; a very delicious human too. Jou had to push that thought down. The ancient needed more clothes. _Real_ clothes.

"**Just read the book,"** he ordered indolently, resisting a profound urge to sigh. The blond sighed and picked up the book he shimmed up with him. He flipped the pages for a while before stopping somewhere near the end of the book and examined it carefully, piecing the words and glyphs in his head together.

"The moon has the ability to render the appearance of the curse?" Jou asked unsure. Seto nodded. Jou grinned, _that's kind of cool._ Jou's eyes went back to the pages sitting up confused. "Wait a minute; only ONE person can wake you up?"

Seto nodded again.

"Then what about me? I did and I'm still alive," he pointed out, thumb digging into his own sternum.

"**Obviously, you're that one person,"** The priest sighed at the words. Jou looked around for a moment.

"No way…" he breathed. Then he popped up on his feet, pointing at the blue eyed one. "I don't want to be bound to an ass like you!" Seto could feel his brow twitch.

"**Like wise mutt,"** he replied. Jou pouted and sat back down with his feet crossed. His nimble, still surprisingly bandaged, fingers tapped on the books cover.

"So then what do I do?" he muttered. The creature sighed, leaning back to feel the suns rays after a few thousand years in the cold darkness.

"**Nothing. Either you use the powers, or I become human,"** The Ancient Egyptian answered. Jou tipped his head as he watched the contented look flitter off of the ancient. The blond sighed and stood up. Seto watched him with a blank face.

"Then that leaves me with just one choice." Jou responded. Seto could feel his heart clench at the words. The boy could only want one thing… all of the humans do… The honey colored orbs looked up to the bleu sky. "How do we make you human anyways?".

"**What?"** The monster exclaimed feeling his face fall into incredulity. Jou turned back to the brunet.

"The book talks about items and their places, how does that work now?" the teen questioned.

"**Are you saying you won't even think about using my power?"** Seto posed. Jou's gaze told the priest the boy thought he was a little dense.

"Of course not. What would I do with it?" the blond asked with a bit of sarcasm. Seto found his speech rendered useless. Then with a snort, he stood up.

"**You really are a dumb mutt if you decide to throw away power just to make me human,"** the priest reprimanded coldly. Jou found himself with a tiny grin. He shrugged, book in hand.

"Maybe, but that's what I want to do," he retorted with finality. Seto in turn also shrugged at the boy's nonchalance. Together, they made their way out of the unbinding desert.

**TBC**

**A/N:** That ending kind of sucked… But the chapter was a page and a half longer than the first. I still have very little clue where this is going. If you have any ideas please throw them at me.

Yeah… anyone notice how incesty the brothers are? Almost sounds like Malik and Marik are incesty too. –Sighs- I can't help it. HIKARIS AND YAMIS JUST GO TOGETHER PEOPLE!

Anywho, This one was hard to write. Pegasus is alive! –Screams- Oh my god! He turned out so pedophilic! I didn't do it on purpose; it just kind of flew that way.

No one knows how the Priest betrayed the Pharaoh yet, anyone have an idea? That would be cool if some one could guess it. I would love them forever.

So yes, in case no one is sure and I don't know how you can't be, this is a SetoxJou pairing. I swear this came to me in a dream. I have no clue why, but it was really hot and angst and just wow. I hope you like it.

If not, oh well. It'll be up for my own entertainment. I LOVES IT!

I'm not exactly sure how this is going though, please tell me! Love to you who review! Until the next chappy!

-SteelAgainstIvory


	3. Chapter Three

**UPDATED AS OF January 16, 2008**

**A/N: **-Eye Twitch- I AM ON A SUGAR HIGH! The best kind for writing –Big Smile-

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:** A boy accidentally gets himself mixed up in a supernatural battle ground. He awakens a mummy with a harsh past, and is now bound to him! What's the poor kid going to do now?

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Egyptian**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Three**

_Beautiful…_ That was the first thought that came to mind. But that thought was very wrong. He should have thought differently. Perhaps it was the color red. It should have tipped him off. But no… he was too caught up to look before him. Maybe… Just maybe that was his undoing. Because of that… he deserved the hell he was sentenced to.

Present Day

"How many items do we need exactly?" Jou asked, searching through the numerous and confusing pages of the book. Seto shrugged in response, too fascinated by the local scenery to care. Jou sighed and checked the map he stole at the first vender he saw. The two were stopped at the nearest nameless town Jou had been through when he was first commanded to take Pegasus to the Valley.

The blond sighed. The more he thought about the situation, the more it annoyed him. For one, he was bound to a very unemotional and not to mention MURDERING mummy. Second, he had no clue if Bakura and Ryou were still alive. Lastly, he had to search the vest Egyptian desert to find all these damned trinkets to turn the mummy back into a human so Jou could ditch his sorry ass and end up on his own again.

_How the hell did this happen to me_?! Jou wondered in anger for not the first time that day. Jou squinted when the words got harder to read. He glanced up and noticed the sun was beginning to fall. Seto's icy eyes were also trained on the falling star. "Come on, we have to find shelter before you go all Night of the Living Dead again," Jou said. Seto raised an eyebrow at the analogy.

Jou paid it no attention and began to weave expertly through the crowd. Seto followed behind unsure of the destination. The boy was looking for the cheapest hotel he could find, or maybe even a shelter.

"Hey did you hear about-"

Jou's ears caught snippets of a conversation.

"Yeah, I did! The new burial place they found!"

Something made Jou's feet pause by the couple talking by the jewelry cart. The priest almost tripped over the blond as he halted suddenly. The brunet was about to insult him when he noticed Jou was training himself to hear a conversation. "They said it is full of treasures!" the man told the young lady. Seto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! Yeah!" the woman giggled. "They found some evidence that says it was the ancient Shrine of Baset!" _Baset, the cat goddess…_ Seto's brain had chimed. _People remember the Gods?_ Jou's brow came down in concentration. His hands opened the book, eyes skimming the page. He let out a silent squeal.

"Hey," Jou interrupted. "You guys know where this Shrine is?" The lady looked at him curious. The guy on the other hand was pretty smug about it.

"Sure do!" he announced "It's about a half a days walk from here." Jou smiled graciously. Seto wondered where the boy was going with this. "Dude! That is so cool!" he complimented.

The guy laughed and patted the woman's shoulder. For a few idle minutes Jou rambled on about how smart the couple was. They walked away blushing and Jou enthusiastically waved good bye. **"Where were you going with that, mutt?" **he questioned. Jou chuckled and swiped a bag from the jewelry stand as he walked away.

"They were tourists." Jou explained while stuffing the bag with the book. "They were probably being treated crappy to all day, so I just made them feel better." The nimble fingers had zipped up the bag. Jou scowled when he saw the awful condition his bandages were in.

"**Why make them feel better?" **Seto asked confused.

"Simple, to receive information." The blond answered. He tapped the bag. "The book was talking about the Shrine of Baset." The ancient nodded, understanding now. He made them seem larger than life to keep them from wondering why he was asking questions. Jou grinned and also pulled up a small, shiny rectangle. "Plus, I took there credit card."

The mummy sighed as the boy pocketed it. The boy made a whine as his bandage snagged. With a growl he began tarring the bandages with his teeth. Seto winced when he spied the broken skin and dried blood. **"You got those injuries stealing?"** he questioned. Jou's tarring paused for a moment. He continued, spiting out sand.

"Yeah."

"**Why steal if you get injured then mutt?"** Seto scoffed at the boy's stupidity. Jou glared at the arrogance the man contained.

"I don't like it. But I do it to survive," he growled. "And stop calling me that." Seto almost laughed. Almost, but there was some thing to the blondes tone he couldn't place.

"**What did you steal?"** the brunet had no clue was he was asking so many questions. It wasn't any of his business. Yet, the two were bound for the moment. So why not just ask? Jou looked at his beaten hands. He closed it into a fist and let it down by his side.

"The damn box with the map to the Valley of the Damned," he answered. Seto's breath stilled. Jou cursed his hands for a moment. It all started this way. The ancient wondered, if Jou could read and understand his language, why steal the box? He had to know.

"**Why?"** he inquired. Jou felt his eyes snap to Seto in a glare.

"I was tricked. Pegasus…" the teen's glare faded slowly. "I just wanted to save Ryou."

Seto didn't understand, not really. Jou shook his head of thoughts. "A lot of good I've done them…" he whispered to himself as his pace speed to the exist of the town. The priest stood for a moment, eyes toward the last bit of sun. He sighed and calmly went after Jou. As soon as the twinkle of star hit the sands, the moon's light hit over the desert. Once more was the man a monster…

The Shrine of Baset 100 BCE

"**This is were you will train,"** A tall, light haired man had told the child. He had deep brown hair, and ice like eyes. The tall man was in the garbs of the Pharaoh's protectors. **"Too be the high priest is a great honor. But you must start with the basics."**

The child Seto sighed. **"All this I've already studied."** He informed the Protector. The protector just chuckled. He ruffled the rich hair on top of the small head. Seto made a growl and pushed off the hand.

"**This may be true, but it is the Pharaoh's wish," **he explained. **"His son will not attend the throne for a few years; you still have a lot to learn."**

Seto rolled his eyes. He already knew all of this. Pharaoh Yami would not assume the throne until his father either stepped down or died. Seto had been his childhood friend since birth it seemed. He promised to stay by his friend's side, especially since the Nubians were threatening another civil war on Egypt. With Seto's intellect and Yami's faith, they could easily kept the Nubian's down.

"**What must I do?"** Seto asked, slipping once more into his subservient rule. All the while thinking, _just wait until I tell Yami you prick._ The Protector smiled, obviously happy.

"**You must learn the Golden Rule."** He answered. Seto blanched for a minute. The man chuckled again and left the boy to his own doings.

A Year Later

Seto brushed the sweat from his brow in the hot room. Mummification took place today. This time it was one of the Royal Cats of the Palace. They had a separate burial place from the citizen's cats. **"Seto,"** a husky feminine voice called out. The boy nearly shuddered. **"You have a visitor."** She continued. Seto left the smoking chamber to find Mai and Yami waiting for him.

Yami gave him a wide grin. Seto smirked. He gave the boy-king a mock bow. **"My condolences to your loss."** He said professionally. Mai flicked her long golden hair back in disgust. Yami just shrugged.

"**I didn't like the thing much anyways,"** he answered. Seto stood back up. There was a silence. Then they burst out laughing. Mai ended up shaking her head and swaying her hips as she stalked away. Yami stuck out his tongue at her back. Seto walked up and slapped him on the back.

"**You might not want to do that Young Pharaoh, she might stick her own tongue back out at you."** Seto warned. Yami looked behind him and shuddered.

"**How has your training been going old friend?"** Yami questioned. Seto ended up groaning, practically holding his face in his hands.

"**They won't tell me, but I already know I'm failing," **The brunet replied. Yami sighed, grumbling insults under his breath. Mai had returned and shooed the young boy away.

"**Remember Seto,"** he said just before leaving. **"The Golden Rule isn't just treating others kindly."** Seto had been confused but nodded anyways. His friend had left in his chariot. Seto never really did pass his training course in theory. But he was able to complete his knowledge and become High Priest.

In the Darkness of the Shrine

Reflecting eyes glittered in the dark. They watched the young men travel wearily through the desert. _Have you come back, Priest Seto?_ They wondered. _My, my, how your handsome figure has distorted._ The owner of the violet eyes sighed. Once a very lovely man was now reduced by the sands of time to nothing more than stretched, decaying flesh over rusted bones and bits of bandages.

A soft, throaty chuckle escaped the shadowy figure. _I wonder if you remember this place_. The eyes blinked as Seto's blue eyes dissolved into memories. _Ah, you do…_ Another laugh had floated around the room. A hand passed over the shimmering surface of the well. It changed to the profile of a young blond. He had a book in his hands. _This is the mortal that you are bound to?_

Honey eyes were scanning pages in the dark. _Such pretty, pretty eyes…_ A finger casually stroked the beautiful blue necklace. The symbol of an eye hanging low to the breasts. _Would you mind,_ the ancient asked soundless, _if I were to add him to my collection?_ A sudden wind fluttered the blond tresses. Seto's eyes were tuned to the teen. _I would not doubt it…_

"Alright… according to the book, we should be here." Jou said scratching his head. The stars were their only guide and the moon was shining down on the duo. The teen was trying his hardest to keep his eyes off the towering form of the creature next to him. The moon light showed Seto's true form. In the daylight, he appeared human, but when in the moon…

"**We are here."** The mummy had uttered in his unholy voice. Jou felt the shivers tingle down his spine. He knew the priest wouldn't hurt him… but the sound of his hollowed, low tone reminded him of the locked darkness in the tomb. _I_ _wonder if he feels this way too… Every time he hears his voice_. Jou's eyes caught a glint of something in the twinkling of the stars.

Jou felt his breath enter fast enough to halt his heart. Rotting fingers turned over an eye made of pure gold. "That was Pegasus's eye…" Jou stated with a gulp. The monster shot him some thing that could have been a smirk. The blond felt his flesh rise into goose bumps again. Seto had carefully examined the dried patch of earth in the dark. His eyes, so human, so mesmerizing sparked when he noticed a small ditch not too far off.

Jou had followed cautiously. Seto leapt into the ditch, feet thudding against the sandy bottom. Jou dropped in after him. Seto felt his hands skimming over the sides of the wall. A flash of golden white walls entered his mind. He went down a narrow tunnel the diggers made. Sand, and time, had filled up the Shrine.

Jou padded quietly after him. His orbs raked over the words. They were broken, scattered and sorrowful. "Can you read…?" Jou started but was interrupted by Seto's hand. Jou stopped his talking. Seto's eyes were closed. His memory slowly fading in and out.

_The Golden Rule is most important to us Priests…_ it whispered.

Seto growled as he pushed it down. His feet ticked off in a direction he use to take as a child. Jou quickly lapped after him, feet slapping against the old tiled flooring. It brought back few details of things the priest had forgotten laying in his prison box, his sarcophagus.

_Have you learned your lesson yet?_

The monster let out a rancid breath, trying to gather his wits. It had been years, no millennia's since he had last been to this Shrine. It seemed harder to remember every time. All he had to do was look into honeyed-colored eyes to remember it though.

_Remember Seto…_

Seto had turned around to consult Jou. In the boy's place he found nothing but wind and dust. His head turned from side to side, searching for the boy. A shadow crossed over the wall to his left. The priest's feet followed the movement, hearing a slight pitter as he grew closer.

101 BCE

Mai had felt her breath leave her in disappointment. Being a high priestess was never a good thing. Especially when she had to deal with a child who was going to become the next high priest to the Pharaoh. Whose brilliant idea was this anyway?

In fact, Seto stood before her, his complete year of training would be over with just one answer from him. But would he have the correct answer. **"Do you under stand you challenge young one?"** Mai asked hands folded behind her back, almost twisting her linens.

"**Yes. The Golden Rule is bestowing others with the actions you would want bestowed upon yourself." **The brunet responded graciously. Mai stood on her tip toes, waiting for more. She did not receive it. With a wave of her hand she dismissed him.

"**You have great potential. But that is not the lesson you are to learn…"** she mumbled. Seto had left with a bow, he passed, but not in the way one thinks. A golden head of locks shook under the humid chambers of the Shrine.

"**I suppose I'll have to wait until you learn…"** her delicate hands threaded through the soft hair of her beloved cat. Old and wise he sat and purred at her loving touch. His dark fur tangled on his bright blue collar. His symbol lying just on his white belly.

Jou

"Ugh!" the blond moaned as his shoelace had gotten caught in the moldy cracks of the tunnels. He kicked up his leg and lost balance, falling flat on his lovely face. His bag scatted a few feet out of his reach. Quickly, the boy had lifted up to grab it.

"I have no clue where I am…" Jou whispered to himself as he checked the contents of the bag. The book was unharmed and laying passively in the sack. The blond sighed and picked it up to lie in his lap. He bit his lip and practically shoved his face against the symbols.

He couldn't make out any thing in the almost absolute darkness. The walls were so corroded by time and the elements he also couldn't figure out what they were telling him. Jou banged his head on top of the cover of the book. "We should have left while it was light out," he bemoaned.

Now Jou was lost, he was in the dark, and not to mention he had been separated from the mummy. Not a wonderful thought to dwell on actually. Jou shivered and pushed it away. _Best try to find some thing…_ Jou decided. _Let's see… the book mentioned…_

**Jounouchi**

Jou grasped his neck when he felt the inability to breathe properly. He launched to his feet. **"That's not funny you damned monster!"** Jou screamed. A chuckled seemed to flow off the walls. **"Where are you!"** he shouted, running for a corridor. A shadow passed over the wall.

**This way…**

The blond felt his blood began to rise in temperature. His feet propelled him after the figure. He heard the scampering of feet. Jou's bronze eye looked for anything else. The boy wondered what happened to his bag for a second.

**Already giving up Jounouchi?**

"**STOP CALLING ME THAT!" **he shouted, running after the voice. The book felt like a weight in his arms as he swung them to gain momentum. He huffed when he found himself in front of a massive door. "What the…?" he mumbled. He read the door carefully.

**Are you coming?**

Jou felt some thing stir in his stomach again. _This is not a good idea…_ he thought, hand pushing just over the figure of a graceful feline. He shifted and the door made a hiss as air escaped from the chamber room. _A tomb,_ Jou knew. _Perhaps this is wear I can find the item…_

Jou's foot stilled over the doorway. Doubts were beginning to fill his mind. _What am I doing?_ He asked. Jou shook his head. He was trying to gain Seto his humanity back. That was what he was doing. _But what reward would I receive?_ Jou wondered.

The chuckled seemed to mock him.

Jou sighed as he realized the truth. _I don't need a reward…_ he knew that too. Then why is he even here? It didn't make sense… Why should Jou help this stranger he doesn't know? This creature that should have killed him? That **would** have killed him.

It has uprooted Jou's whole life, or what one might even call a life. It nearly killed Ryou and Bakura and now it had separated the three friends, perhaps for life even! Yet here was Jou, about to endanger his life for this priest who died horribly centuries and centuries ago.

He was being stupid. Jou sighed as his foot began to waver. _Yes, I am stupid, Priest Seto._ Jou thought. _But I want to help… I want you to know what you have been through was horrific._ He realized as his foot fell down to the floor. _I can't change it- but I can help fix it!_

"**YOU HEAR THAT? I'M GONNA HELP BECAUSE I WANT TO!"**

A low chuckle met the blond. His body stiffened as a pair of glowing violet eyes met his honeyed ones. **"It seems you've learned your lesson… Let's see if Seto learns his…"** a husky voice purred. A blue glint met Jou before his vision dimmed.

Seto

Seto's feet had stilled when he felt the inky drip of darkness lurk into his body. _Something is not right,_ he realized. With an almost frantic pace, the creature darted after another shadow. **"Stop running in circles mutt!" **he called out. He turned the corner faster than expected.

He gasped and jumped back when a claw darted close to his face. The bones in his knees creaked as he crouched to find a cat. The mummy felt that sinking feel as he stood over it. **"I remember you…"** he said slowly. The cat seemed to purr in contentment at the statement. For a fleeting moment the brunet wanted to step on it.

"**Bring me to your mistress." **The priest demanded. **"I think she has something of mine."** The cat merely mewed and fluffed its tail, walking down the hallway. Seto sneered as he walked after it. It wouldn't be long now…

Memories attacked the creature as it continued its path down the twisting tunnels in the dark. With every turn, bright lights and cats of all kinds blinked from his vision. Then, they would be gone as if never there at all.

The hallways echoed with the laughter of children playing lazily with the kittens. Meows of satisfactions tickled his ears. Weeping of professional mourners seemed to seep into the walls. But if the ancient paused long enough, there was nothing but the wind.

The old oils wafted in the air. It brought back the smell of fresh milk and roasted fish. The taste lingered on the very tip of his tongue. But with a simple head shake, it would leave. Only a distant draft from the childhood of many priests.

The cat finally paused at an open door. The creature stopped with it. _She's in there…_ Seto knew. The cat seemed to have read his thoughts in a way. It mewed happily, the black fur drifting into the dark recesses of the room. _The mummification chamber…_

Seto, along with his memories, stepped through the door way. A dim sort of light greeted the ice cold eyes of the mummy. With her laugh that filled the mind of a young priest, violet eyes opened to him. **"Evening, Seto… It's been a while."** The eyes lulled. Seto scoffed at the tone.

"**Where's the boy, Mai?"** Seto replied. The light in the room grew softly by the waters of the serving bowl. The priest's eyes narrowed as the violet eyes lit up into a face. The owner most obviously Mai. The old high priestess of his time.

The sight was the lovely blonde woman, curled up on her pretty little table. Her long white robes unchanged as her appearance. Favorite black cat curled up in her lap. But the blue collar now dangled around her neck. Not just any collar. It was the item Seto needed to be fully human.

Her digits fingered the eye symbol that hung snugly on her chest. **"Where's the boy indeed…"** she whispered, eyes glinting. The man followed her gaze to the table she was neatly sitting on. The blond teen lay; eyes closed while the breathing shallow. A threatening growl rose from the belly of the beast.

_So be it the battle of ancients…_

**TBC**

**A/N:** Wow… This chapter is so rushed… Kind of. It's weird. I like the idea of Mai as a cat lady though.

So we saw a whole lot of the past for Seto. See how close he and Yami were? Makes me want to cry. What in the name of Ra did Seto do to destroy that?!

Um… The necklace. I got the idea from Ishtar's necklace. I don't remember much from the series. I had watched it YEARS ago. Hell, I don't even remember if that's her real name or something. I think it is. I have a good memory most of the time. So yeah… getting back to the present. I'm not really sure how the items make Seto human, I have to think about that.

Love kitties too! Yep, Egyptians have a cat complex. SO DO ME! THEY ARE SO CUTE!

The Golden Rule. We all grow up with it. We all know what it is… But what does it really mean? Is it just a fancy title? So I twisted it. I hate it. "Be nice to other if you want them to be nice to you!"

Isn't that a little… selfish? Be nice so you can get a reward? That's not what I want to teach my kids (if I have any, I think any future husbands/boyfriends will find my yaoi fetish disturbing… BUT IT'S SO HOT!)

Alright, that's it. Love to you reviewers! TTFN!


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** I'm sleepy again. I apologize for all the typos in the last chapter. Hopefully this one is better. I've been changing around my writing style so… yeah…

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:** A boy accidentally gets himself mixed up in a supernatural battle ground. He awakens a mummy with a harsh past, and is now bound to him! What's the poor kid going to do now?

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Emphasis**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Four**

If you were given a chance, would you go back and time and fix a dreadful mistake? That leads one to question though… Mistakes are bad… but they're good too. When we make a mistake, we have the ability to learn from it. We can not fix the past, but we can make the future better.

That is what we as humans have come to realize after so long. The only problem is… what if your mistake costs you your humanity? What are you to do then? For the ancient Egyptian priest Seto, this is his question.

What shall he do? Gain back his lost humanity, or live with this curse he placed upon him? Luckily for Seto, his choice was made for him. Jou decided he would help the priest, despite not knowing the man. True selflessness or just pure idiocy?

Soon, we shall find out…

Seto's breathing was hard. His legs pushed him against the pillars in the old embalming chamber. He had been outrunning Mai and her damn psychopathic cat for what was possibly hours now. A meow rang in echoes making it hard to pint point the exact location.

"**Give up Seto!"** Mai called out, feet tapping against the dust ridden grounds. Seto rolled his azure eyes at her over confidence. It would take more than a flea ridden immortal to get him to admit defeat. _What to do though…_ he wondered.

He had to get that necklace. It was the one of the few items that could buy him back his humanity. Seto spied from around the corner of the pillar. The blonde woman was strutting down the rows of tables were bodies use to be lain. The glint of blue gold made his eyes narrow and his fingers itch.

He stared down at his knurled hands. The very flesh was distorted and Seto sneered. The priest threw down his hands. Bits of the pillar crack and fell off in sprinkles. His ice eyes widened and he glanced down at his palms. The meow of a feline snapped his thoughts back the necklace. A smirk adorned his face…

Mai heard the sprinkling of rusted alabaster. Her head tilted in a cat like manner. Her sandals scrapped over the floor. Her fingers trailed over the tables and the blonde had skirted around to a pillar. **"Stop hiding Seto…"** she warned and turned sharply.

Empty air met her pretty little violet eyes. A frown fell across her mouth. She looked back and forth. The only sight was swirling chips of old rock. She let out a puff and turned on her heel. _Now where could you have gone to?_ Mai questioned.

She stalked back toward the main table. Her foot harshly pounded on the ground in a bit of frustration. She crossed her arms and swiveled her head around. She let out another huff and her foot rose to begin her heavy walking. It paused when a slight noise reached her ears.

Mai's eyes had darted around the dimly lit room. It was a small noise… but a noise nonetheless. **"Seto…"** the priestess had taunted. The sound was a bit sharper this time. Close to the sound of scraping. A large mew had cost her to turn her attention to the floor. Her cat was poised for a fight.

Clink, clink!

Mai wiped around. A cold burst of air met her face. Nothing but the wind. She let out a sigh. The mummy must have just been causing her to lose her nerves. That was all. The priestess hand had flown up to her necklace to make sure it was there.

Clink, clink!

Her violet eyes opened in surprise as bits of tiles had bounced off of her blonde head. Mai growled and she spun around. The creature's grip off the ceiling loosened and he fell to the floor in a graceful tumble. She stood as Seto righted himself. **"Nice try,"** she complimented.

Seto just stared at unblinkingly. Mai swayed her hips as she turned back to her original path toward the middle of the room. She crossed her arms as she stopped to pointedly glare at the monster just standing there. **"Coming?"** she asked snottily. Seto merely walked after her.

The woman had stood by the table the young blond male was lying on. Seto watched with silted eyes as Mai walked around the table. Violet eyes were sizing up the boy calmly. Once more the priestess threw a look over her lovely shoulder at the other man.

"**I've been meaning to ask all night,"** she purred. The priest felt whatever muscles he had left tighten instantly. **"Would you mind… if I added his eyes to my collection?"** Her tanned hand glided over Jou's pale cheek.

Seto glared at the woman in front of him. Why would she ask him this? What is going through her mind? Mai simply gave him a cat like grin. Blond bangs were brushed away by her tiny hands. **"How long…" **the priestess inquired aloud. **"How long has it been since you were last here?"**

Seto wasn't sure. Mai wasn't sure. The only people who could have possibly known were the lords themselves. Thousands of years had passed this shrine. Maybe a complete millennium had gone by without their knowledge. At this time, it didn't matter. Does it ever, one has to wonder…

Mai's digits had traced over the brow of the young boy. Almost too young compared to the two high priests. **"His eyes…"** she murmured. Seto's eyes lifted from the floor and toward the female blonde. **"They're amber…"** she continued. Her hand stopped suddenly.

Seto watched her warily. His brows drew down in thought. **"Why do you care about his eyes? What collection are you speaking of Mai?"** he questioned. Mai looked up shakily, unaware of what she had exactly done. The monster's legs shook wanting desperately to run while he could.

"**So many mortals have come looking for the shrine…"** she whispered. A meow filled the all too stuffy room. Their eyes rang for a moment. **"Each person's eyes so different…"** her words trailed off. All too soon she regarded Seto sternly.

Seto gulped, backing up slightly. Mai advanced on him. The mummy jumped back, hitting a table in the process. The blonde halted her movements. **"Do you remember your lesson Seto?"** she asked. The ancient watched her unmoving eyes contemplating his answer.

"**Yes…"** he replied slowly. **"It was the Golden Rule."** Mai gave him another feline smile and nodded.

"**Do you remember what the Golden Rule is Priest Seto?"** Mai questioned urgently. The creature was about to nod but his memory got the better of him…

Flashback

"**Do you under stand you challenge young one?"** Mai asked hands folded behind her back, almost twisting her linens. Seto understood the ridiculous question.

"**Yes. The Golden Rule is bestowing others with the actions you would want bestowed upon yourself." **The brunet responded graciously. Mai stood on her tip toes, waiting for more. She did not receive it. With a wave of her hand she dismissed him.

"**You have great potential. But that is not the lesson you are to learn…"** she mumbled. Seto had left with a bow, he passed, but not in the way one thinks. A golden head of locks shook under the humid chambers of the Shrine.

As Seto left he realized that he may have been wrong. But why? His answer was theoretically correct. Oh well, there would be time to learn later. Oh how wrong he was… How wrong the poor boy was…

To The Present

Seto drew his lips together. He didn't know that answer. That was obvious now. So what was he to do? Seto's eyes fell behind the enchanting priestess to the blond teen breathing shallowly. The woman had seen, and her head turned to see Jou in his restful slumber.

"**He knows what the Golden Rule is…"** she explained to him. **"He learned his lesson."**

Seto looked at the floor, unable to think properly for some reason. His mind was mixing with memories. The same memories that had lead him to this very cursed state. Mai felt her grin grow. The mummy was as easy to read as an open book.

"**Are you afraid he will betray you young priest?"** She asked. The decrepit head had snapped up. Bones cracked and an unholy glare was aimed directly at her. The blonde only giggled behind her delicate hands.

"**So you are…"** she said with a slight wistful look. The dank air grew thicker around him as the priestess' eyes seemed to glow with mischief. It seemed, Seto realized, that this situation had gotten a lot more dangerous than previously believed.

"**What do you want from me Mai?" **Seto ground out as the woman had petted his necklace almost as fondly as her beloved kitty cat.

"**Now shouldn't that be obvious?"** she inquired as she looked back at the sleeping Jou. The mummy's ice blue eyes had darted over Jou's figure. His gaze landed squarely on the lad's resting eyes.

"**Don't tell me you wish for his… his eyes?"** Seto gaped as Mai smiled ruthlessly again. A shudder ran over exposed spine bones. The Priestess Seto had known long ago was gone. This couldn't be Mai…

"**An eye…" **the immortal began, **"… for an eye."** Along, claw shaped fingernail tapped on the emblem on the blue necklace. Indeed violet eyes glowed in content mischief. All the air fell from the tunneled halls of the age old Shrine of Baset.

Seto shook his head and fell back against the table. Canopic jars had fallen and scattered ashes over the eaten floor tiles. A shocked choke fell from dead and dying lips that once held rosy flesh. Mai only nodded in return.

"**You can not be serious!**" the monster had protested. Mai only sighed. Seto growled in return. Immortality had changed Mai from the wonderful woman she once was to this… degrading thing that waited centuries for his return.

"**You are a monster now Mai…"** he snarled, ferocious teeth bearing at the lady. The feline prowling the ruined flooring let out a hiss and jumped on a table nearby. Mai simply laughed and spread out her arms.

"**Look around you High Priest!"** she spit out. The creature watched her laughs turn into furious hissing and spitting. His arms held him steady as Mai's outburst caused her cat to hastily pad across tables, scratching at air, hoping to hit him.

"**Don't you see!" **she screeched. Her necklace glinted in the fire light.

"**Mai, calm down please!"** Seto asked. Mai rounded on him, eyes dilated in the most cats like fashion. The priest stood as everything stilled. She was panting in anger.

"**No… No Seto…" **she hisses lowly. His icy eyes fell to her shaking figure.

"**What has happened to you?"** was the only thing he could say. Mai arms wrapped around her, for a moment she was Mai again. For a moment Seto could understand her anger at him.

"**I have waited many years for you…"** she muttered. **"You have never learned your lesson."** Her head fell as her blonde locks had shaken from side to side. It was as if she was trying to shake away all the bad thoughts in her mind.

"**I made a promise to Yami."** Mai had explained in her husky voice. Seto's head turned away when the name left her painted mouth. She looked up at him fiercely. **"I intend to keep it!"** The brunet was taken aback by the hard words.

"**You couldn't keep any promises to him…"** she hissed. **"So I am making up for it!"**

At that the priest's head of dark hair flew up. In a minute of pure hatred he raised his hand to her. She didn't even move a single voluptuous muscle. With a narrowed eye, it swished threw the air. Mai was preparing herself for the stinging pain. But it never came.

Just before his molding hand was suppose to strike the unchanged flesh, Seto had regained control. His breathing was erratic and his orbs glowed their blue fire. The woman stared at him as the hand was lowered with the utmost restraint.

Seto let out a puff of air. His rancid breath had washed over the area. Mai was cautious staring at the man in the stilled air of the chamber. Even the constantly mewling cat had ceased in the tension that strung the air too tight to even breathe.

"**You are right,"** the male had uttered. Mai's pretty eyes had grown as large as the size of saucers at his words. Seto had never dared say such things, before or even after his trail. He was found guilty but always swore he remained loyal.

"**I have thought long and hard…"** Seto's eyes faded for a fraction of a second. They snapped back to reality as the cat had rubbed against Mai's leg. Seto snorted and looked away. His eyes came across Jou…

"**But I had never betrayed the Pharaoh in the way you think…"** he finally amended.

Mai watched as Seto had brushed past her. She fell back and spun a little as her back hit the table Seto was just pressed up against. The mummy had walked carefully to the sleeping visage of the teen. The boy breathed out in small huffs that caused what faded light to distort the drifting sands in the air.

The creature was just studying him for the short time. His hand rose shakily, as if he worried that Jou would suddenly spring from him at any moment. But the boy showed no signs he would ever wake up. A decaying hand passed over the face of the blond boy.

Seto's throat ripped out a growl as he turned back to Mai. She stood, gasping at the whole scene. Her eyes never grew smaller, but her smile faded. The cat rubbed his ebony fur against her leg, mewing for attention. She didn't even notice.

"**What do you want with the boy?"** Seto questioned with a hard look.

"**What do **you** want with the boy Seto?"** Mai questioned back.

Seto reeled back, surprised at the question. He looked back to the boy and then to his worn out hands. **"He woke me up…"** Seto responded. Mai shook her head of golden hair.

"**That's not what I asked you Seto…"** she pointed out. Seto's eyes snapped a warning glower at her.

"**Why would you care so much?"** Seto sneered. His fingers closed into fists. Mai had regained most of her composure as she picked up her mewling cat.

"**You want the necklace…"** she answered. Her cat pawed at the eye hanging snugly between her bosoms. **"And I have it." **The mummy's cold, cold orbs eyed at it.

"**Why do you want it so bad?"** she inquired.

"**To turn human!"** the monster roared. The priestess nodded in that respect.

"**But tell me why…"** she said softly. Seto opened his mouth but closed it. Yet again, the answer had escaped him. **"I see; then tell me, what do you want more than anything?"** she tried again.

The priest eyes fell to his hands. His lids closed over his eyes. All was quiet in his head. But his heart was frantic. It couldn't find one wish or another. Where one emotion began another would end and then it would lead to a beginning and then back to a separate ending. It was a never ending circle.

"**I do not know what I want anymore."** He answered. The woman's eyes had softened for a moment. Her hand had stroked over soft fur. **"It seems I can not hold on to anything…"** Seto looked back to Jou.

"**Perhaps that is what you want Seto," **Mai had whispered.** "Something to hold on to."**

The creature looked over the serene face of a boy. He nodded after a while. Mai chuckled into the dark hairs of her feline who purred in return.** "He wants to help…"** she muttered. Seto's gaze flickered to Mai.

"**He wants to help just because,"** she told him. Seto's head turned down to the blond on the table. He gave a slight snort.

"**Mutt…"** he mumbled, and it might have been almost fondly. **"You are a work of art…"**

Mai smiled at the monster and let her cat drop to the floor. The pitter patter of soft feet made the priest glance behind him. The other priest parted her hair. Then with agile hands she reached to the back of her neck. She grunted when the clasp pulled free.

She then out stretched her hand toward the ice eyed man. His orbs took it in slowly as the glinting blue gold seemed to twinkle in faint orange firelight. His eyes darted back and forth between the necklace and the warming violet irises.

"**You are giving this to me?"** Seto questioned surprised. Mai shook her head slowly. It made the creature raise its hackles. **"I will not give you his eyes!"** he warned.

Mai raised an incredibly thin eyebrow. **"Then what will you give me?" **she inquired.

The brunet brought his eyes to the dirty, time stricken grounds. He needs that necklace! But at what cost to the man? The price of the only person who wanted to help Seto of his own free will? The ancient had spied the boy still sleeping.

Could he sacrifice the only person who cared?

Seto felt a bubble of laughter spill from his diaphragm.

No. He would not do that to the mutt.

"**What of my eyes? Will they sufficient?" **the priest asked.

Mai let out a gasp. She stared into the all too serious orbs of the mummified man. The woman looked over at the boy. **"You would do that for his safety?"** she asked. Seto only gave a nod.

The priestess tilted her head. **"Why would you do that?" **she questioned again.

Seto ended up shrugging.** "He would do the same for me,"** was his reply. A smirk graced the face of the creature. **"Plus, I just want to."**

Mai let out a tired sigh. She glided to Jou's table. The brunet's brows came together in confusion as she bent over the table. She whispered something inaudible to the blond teen. When she leaned back up, the mutt stirred and his eyes of amber groggily opened.

Jou rubbed his eyes from the sleep. He slowly noticed Mai and cocked his head in a questioning manner. Seto chuckled to himself as Jou sat up and looked around confused. Mai just helped him to the floor, **"Time for you to go now Jou…"**

"**But we still haven't gotten the necklace…"** Jou muttered as Mai handed over the teen to Seto. The teen looked over at the cute smiling woman to the distorted and confused mummy.

"**I don't understand you…"** Seto confessed as Mai held out the necklace. His rotten digits plucked it from her hands. Jou blinked at the winking blue gold. Mai only gave the boys a girlish giggle.

"**It is simple Priest Seto," **Mai explained.** "You finally passed."**

Seto stared with an open mouth. Jou decided not to push it and just looked back to Mai. **"Thanks… I think."** He said. The blonde woman bent down for her meowing cat.

"**Just treat him well,"** the priestess pleaded lightly. Jou nodded. With a small smile she turned back and her hips swayed with each step she took to the main table. The mummy and the teen saw her lay down on the cold marble surface.

She let out a breath of last air before closing her violet eyes. The cat stretched its mouth before putting its head down on folded paws. Coldness filled the room and in a wheezy sigh, the wind blew out the torches. Jou gasped as he realized the beautiful lady had died.

His eyes flew to Seto, who remained still through out the whole scene. The blond had to squint though. Light had begun to filter through the holes in the ceilings. Gold beams of sun hit across the old chambers… in the sunlight, Seto was human once more.

"**Let us leave now…"** Seto ordered. His robes had fluttered and he stalked out of the room. Jou stared after him for a moment. He turned back to the woman only to find her body gone. Along with her much loved pet cat.

"Thanks again…" Jou mumbled. As he turned to sprint back to Seto he could have heard a slight mew in response…

"Hey you dead jerk!" the blond called out as soon as he came with in arms reach of Seto. "Wait up!" Seto still walked on. Jou growled as he caught up panting. "Mind explaining who that was?" Jou managed to get out. Seto just glanced back at him.

"**Some one from a long time ago…"** he answered. Jou rolled his eyes and increased his pace so he could walk along side the immortal.

"So what happened?" the teen asked. Seto looked down at the necklace. He snorted and threw it to Jou who expertly caught it without thinking.

"**What is the next item?" **Seto questioned. Jou's round bronze eyes blinked.

"Huh?" Jou asked confused. Seto couldn't help but laugh at the look of lost. He picked up the book from the open back pack. He opened it to some random page and held it out for Jou.

"**You want to help right?"** the Egyptian asked. Jou's face blossomed in realization. He snapped shut the book. Seto stared at him as the teen stuff the book and carefully laid the necklace in the pack.

"First things first, getting you a new wardrobe!" Jou said with a grin.

"**What's wrong with my robes?"** Seto asked, looking down at his linens.

Jou wagged his finger at the brunet. "It's the twenty first century! If you walk around like that you're bound to attract attention!" he scolded. Seto sighed and crossed his arms.

"**And I should listen to you because…?" **Seto trailed off pointedly, eyeing the boy's dusty jeans and sweat stained shirt. Jou gave a nervous laugh and blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess I'll have to get some new stuff too…" Jou admitted while scratching his head. Seto nodded. He started to walk back to the village and Jou ran after him. As Seto walked across the hot sands, Jou babbled in his ear. But it wasn't so bad…

A pair of violet eyes smiled down on the pair._ Bye Seto and good luck._

**TBC**

**A/N:** Oy! Happiness! I finally pushed through the writers block with this chapter! I didn't exactly know what to do with this one. Mai's a little messed up. I guess being alive for so long does that to people.

I suppose I should explain her eye fetish.

Well, because she has been living between death and life for so long, obviously there would be explorers who came looking for her shrine. When they found her shrine, she would want their eyes.

Mainly because she has been with the necklace that holds an eye.

Crazy psycho bitches are so fun to write!

Mystery of Seto's betrayal still hidden. It will be for a few more chapters. So, keep looking out for the next one. Love to you who review! Bye!


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: **I made a bit of a mistake with the time line. I stated it was 100 BCE, but given the current specifications with the glyphs and "Shrine of Baset" I screwed up. I went forwards instead of backwards.

So revise it to 1100 BC. My fic takes place in Middle Egyptian culture. I got stupid. –Hangs head in shame- Sowwie.

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:** A boy accidentally gets himself mixed up in a supernatural battle ground. He awakens a mummy with a harsh past, and is now bound to him! What's the poor kid going to do now?

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Egyptian**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Five**

"Phew!" a sweating teenage boy with golden hair mopped his brow with the back of his hand. He was supporting his weight on his knees while his companion leaned against the wall of the run down motel they were occupying. "Now that was a work out, huh?"

"**Mutt**," the companion said, breathing coming out in puffs, "**Remind me to throttle you in your sleep later…"**

The supposed mutt wrinkled his nose at the distasteful insul. As he straightened up, grumbling under his breath, the companion was staring down at his new clothes. The companion was the cliché tall, dark, and handsome. But he pulled it off quite nicely with icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce anyone he glanced at.

Then what was he doing with the scrawny, pale teenager?

Ah, now there's a story for you. It all started not too long ago (which is not something storytellers use everyday, is it?) when this golden haired boy accidentally ended up falling into a trap set by an evil man who wanted to possess something that could give him the key to the world!

Well, this boy is named Jounouchi Katsuya, but he much prefers Jou. It just so happens that Jou can read ancient hieroglyphs. Stumbling upon faulty information, he stole an antique box. This box contained a map to the Valley of the Damned.

After being dragged and having his best friends threatened, he reluctantly takes the evil man, Pegasus, down to the Valley. In the Valley, hidden amongst treasure you can't imagine even in your wildest dreams, there lay a mummy. Although, it was not just any old mummy... it was the mummy of the Priest to the ancient Pharaoh Yami.

This Priest was a traitor to his pharaoh. Mummified alive and cursed to spend eternity in his monstrous state, the Priest has the power to make the world crumble to its knees. Pegasus sought to use this advantage to gain ultimate control… However, he did not realize that waking this dreaded creature came at the highest price.

You must give up your life, your soul…

Now this is when the spells get trickier. Pharaoh Yami took pity on Seto, his former friend and high priest. He decided that there would be only one person who should bond with the mummy. It would be up to that person to either use him for selfish means or help him gain back his humanity, thus redeeming his traitorous ways.

Pegasus put up a struggle, but failed at his task. This left Jou… bonded to the Mummy. Jou, of course, is now working his way to help Seto regain his humanity by finding five magical items mentions in the Book of the Dead. How these items help, Jou isn't that sure, but he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Jou can't help but be proud of their accomplishment so far. The pair had the eye (rightfully stolen from Pegasus a while back) and the necklace (which was won fairly on both parts). All that was left was three more items. _Simple, enough_… Jou thought.

Seto, on the other hand, was oddly fascinated by the new clothes Jou had just pilfered from unsuspecting shops in a small city off in the distance of Cairo. On suggestion that the teen go back to his hometown of the bustling capitol to check out the best libraries of Egyptian artifacts and locations of tombs, the pair managed to snag some money and clothes so they could rest for a night.

Traveling at night was extremely dangerous, given Seto's curse. In the light of Ra, the priest was graciously allowed to appear normal, but by the moonlight his form would return to that of his mummified state. This was why the two heroes of the tale were now panting in the hallway, Seto avoiding the open windows as beams of silver light crept in.

"**These robes feel odd…**" the ancient mentioned. Jou rolled his eyes for the thousandth time since he thrust the new wardrobe into Seto's arms.

"It's just jeans and some shirts," he muttered while pulling out the keys to the room. "You'll get use to it." The door opened and the pair slunk in; Jou tossing his bag onto the bed by the wall. The mummy had taken to a new habit of going straight for the window to stare out at the city lights. It never ceased to amaze him what had become of his kingdom since he had died…

1100 BCE

The priest walked out from the warm, marble temple, sighing as the aired heat swam around the palace grounds. Glittering with gold decorum, the alabaster stones made up the building and filled with lovely swathed linen in brilliant purples, reds, blues, and greens. The papyrus reeds grew up from the bank of the Nile river the palace sat by. Lotus petals and onion flowers were scattered around carelessly, but it was rich nonetheless.

Seto paused, as was his duty to thank the Gods for the wonderful blessings of the earth, air, sun, and protection they gave. His eyes were closed and the prayers fell off his tongue thoughtlessly. A sharp cry interrupted his daily ritual, and the priest turned his head toward the direction the sound came from. The wind whistled across the grounds, picking up the sands.

The person clapped a hand over a pale mouth, and the youth launched back to their feet to awkwardly limp off. Seto's sapphire colored eyes blinked. He heard a chuckle and the priest glanced backward despite knowing that noise very well.

"**Friend," **he warned,** "You better have a good excuse for the boy."**

"**A good excuse as any,"** Yami replied, pushing off the brightly painted pillar he was leaning on. Seto controlled the urge to cluck his tongue at the newly appointed Pharaoh's lack of regard for the rules.

"**It's dangerous to have his type near my temple,"** Seto reminded, sweeping his robes away from his hands as he motioned for the Pharaoh to join him on a walk around the gardens. Yami blew a strand of his mused hair away from his face and decided the path to take. The priest followed obediently.

"**I know…" **Yami said tone hushed and slightly guilty. **"I am thankful you let us meet here though."**

"**Better to have you meet here in the sanctuary than to have you meet at a random inn where anyone can see you,"** the brunet stated. Yami made a grunt, spying the rush of the Nile waters for any unwanted predators. Seto dropped his stern pretense and shoved Yami from behind in a playful manner.

"**The crocodiles aren't let out until midmorning," **Seto reassured. **"You're little hikari won't be eaten."** Yami's face dusted a slight crimson and he turned his regal head away in disdain. The priest laughed and his friend eyed him, face breaking out in a grin.

"**Can you believe it, Seto?" **he questioned with a proud voice. Seto placed his hands behind him, glancing out to the swirling emerald Nile, Ra rising up like a rose bud and casting a glow across the valley of Egypt. **"He said he loves me!"**

"**I heard…"** the brunet said, a tell tale smirk flitting over his mouth. The King of Egypt paid no mind, blankly staring off. Oddly, he seemed calm. For a split second Seto envied him… wishing for that calm, that kind of happiness… Perhaps that's where the treachery really was.

"**He says… He loves me because I'm me…" **Yami spun back, a ridiculous grin on his face. Seto unabashedly stared. **"Not because I saved him or that I'm the pharaoh… He loves me for **_**me**_**."**

"**Are you…?" **the priest felt a cold dread well up from the base of his spine. Yami nodded.

"**I think I'm madly in love with him…" **Yami's tanned hand had slipped to the necklace he wore around his neck at all times. He fingered the gold edge of it, a soft look to his normally sharp eyes.

"**Congratulations then,"** the priestly tone was back. Yami gazed up, snapping out of his reprieve instantly. The Pharaoh nodded, dropping his hands and twisting to stride back towards the temple doors. As Seto trailed like always, he noticed a flash of scarlet out of the corner of his eyes. Yet, as the ice-like orbs scanned the area, nothing but broken papyrus waved in the wind.

The Present

Jou had enough of watching the Priest as he transcended into his memories once more. With a sigh, the teen kicked off his shoes and dug around in the over burdened pack for some of his new clothes. With an armload of fabric, he headed for the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower," he announced to no one in particular.

The door clicked shut behind him and he wouldn't catch the slight shock of blue eyes glancing backwards for a split second. Jou set his clothes down on the toilet seat and began stripping off his shirt. He blew a few stray bangs from his eyes, sticking out his tongue at the sight of himself in the mirror. _If I don't eat soon my ribs might just poke out of my skin…_

After inspecting the knobs for a moment, the blond set the shower to a luke warm temperature and shed his pants as he hopped in. With a contented breath of air the teen went straight to scrubbing away at the dirt and sand. A grin broke out on his face as he wiggled his fingers, pleased that the digits healed mighty nice.

A fat dollop of shampoo rested in his palms as he began to clean his hair. As a lather of colorless foam worked up, the blond felt his face fall. His fingers brushed over a scar close enough to his hairline that it would disappear unless you looked for it. Shaking his golden head, Jou stood under the facet and tried not to submerge into memories too.

"_Well if you need a place to stay, we don't got one… but you're welcome to tag along."_

Dejected, the teen shut off the harsh stream of water. Grabbing the towel hanging up on the dented rail, he quickly dried himself and donned his new clothes. His sweats hung low on his waist and the wife beater stuck to his skin in wetness, displaying peachy flesh.

Jou exited the restroom, but the mummy never turned to him. Jou's brow fell sadly and the boy climbed up onto the bed. He threw back the stiff covers and wiggled underneath; shivering as the breeze from the open window hit the droplets rolling off his hair and splashing him across the face.

"Good night then…" he mumbled, letting his eyes falls shut. Seto didn't look back. The curtains ruffled and a monster bathed in the moonlight.

"_Excuse my brother; he's so very rude… My name's Ryou by the way and that's Bakura."_

…

Jou's eye twitched. Violently.

"I hate this fricking book…"

Another eye twitch caused Jou to curse loudly while Seto stood back amused enough to try and hide a smile. The two were occupying a local restaurant where the blond was reading over the damned book, audibly angered by the constant vagueness.

"The least it could do is say, 'hey, go here!'" Jou grumbled, flipping through the papyrus as carefully as he could in his fury. "But, noooooo, I have to read in between the lines and have always sucked at frigging literature! The Gods must hate me…"

"**Try being imprisoned in a tomb for millennia and then bound to a dog," **Seto taunted as he absently sipped at some coffee. The disgusting drink did nothing for him, but it gave the mummy something to do in order to blend in with the crowd. Jou spared the jerk a glare before going back to decode the book.

"I'm not a dog…" he muttered sourly. Seto lazily propped his chin in his hand. Being dead he would be unable to feel his flesh, or there lack of, even in the sunlight… which there was plenty of at the moment. "Gah! Frigging stork looks like an adder! Who the hell drew this damn thing?!"

"**You're confused between a bird and a snake…"** Seto commented amused, **"You're a dog."**

"**Screw you mighty priest of the pharaoh!"** Jou hissed out. The pencil in his pale hand snapped and Seto could not breathe as laughter tumbled from deep within him. The icy eyes practically had tears in them and the teen seethed for the longest time, face dusting the color of a cherry.

"**How did you come to learn our language so well?"** Seto managed to question once the chuckles slowly their way out of his mouth. The blond had went back to the Book of Dead by now, trying his hardest to simply just ignore the priest, and had to peek up from his bangs to see that the monster was genuinely curious.

"My mother…" he answered. A tiny bit of light faded from those amber eyes.

"**She was Egyptian?"** Seto asked, suddenly aware that he was on a dangerous topic.

"Yes she was…" Jou answered. He blankly stared at the page where he had originally read the spell to raise Seto. Quickly, the boy turned it, eyes scanning around the glyphs expertly. "Every night she taught me… sometimes earlier. It all depended on the day. But she never went on day without teaching me something new."

"**You speak as if—"**

"She's dead," Jou slammed the book shut as he bit out the response. "Okay?!" Seto watched those amber eyes immediately swell up with guilt and indignity. "A few years ago… she's been gone a while. So just… stop asking…"

Seto did not reply back and Jou began to work on the hieroglyphs once more.

Nine Years Previous

"Mom!" an amber eyed youth ran through a rickety sheet of reeds hanging over a run down house in the middle of a ghetto. His messy blond hair swayed by the desert winds. His mud house was small and decorated plainly, but it was home.

Home to his mother who taught him all he knew of the world. Ancient and not.

"Mom?" as his trembling voice bounced loudly off the near walls; he suddenly felt ice cold despite the suns rays glinting against the fevered sand. "Mom…?"

The young boy's hand curled against his trembling heart. Biting his bottom lip hard enough to draw a crimson colored liquid, the blond stepped into the shrouded room. His steps reverberated back to him ten times stronger.

A soft breathing from the adjacent room made him leap unexpectedly. The boy practically tip toed toward the opening, the breeze from a dingy window doing nothing but swirling the heat around making it even more difficult to breath. He paused at the entrance when a powerful acidic smell hit his nostrils.

Before him was something that would haunt him forever. Kind bronze eyes were smiling at him despite all the bright red. Scattered bits of gold and gray littered the dusty floor. Looming over with a sizzling barrel was a dark man, dejectedly turning to the young boy with that face splitting smile.

"M-Mommy?"

The weapon was raised and the blond was frozen to the spot. His wide amber orbs pooled with tears. A quick intake of breath with the only sign to the jerking of an arm and a blast so loud, it ruptured the child's ears for many days. Falling backwards, those eyes dimmed and all that he would remember was the blood splattering on the stucco ceiling.

Maybe that was the first time Jou ever came face to face with a real monster.

"**Jounouchi…" **

Current Jou in the Café

Jou blinked unaware of the silky voice until it was right up in his ear. The teen swiveled around, startled to find a pretty face slathered in make up a little too close for comfort. "E-Excuse me, m'am?" Jou practically squeaked. Seto, who still sat across from him, had his arms crossed over his chest and was clearly ignoring the woman leaning over the table.

"I said are you a student?" her voice that came from bright red painted lips was heavy and thick with a street wise accent. Jou's mouth nearly dropped open in astonishment. He had to catch it as a strong whiff of musk quickly assaulted him.

"A-A student?" Jou parroted, partly confused and partly wary. The girl quirked her mouth, probably much use to boys losing their mind around her, and tilted her head to the side. Highlighted dark red hair fell past her bare shoulders.

"Yep! A bunch of 'em just flew down from London!" she happily squealed. Her gold bracelets clanked together as she excitedly shook her hands. Jou couldn't help but blink, missing Seto's slightly disgusted face as he nonchalantly turned away from the annoying noise. "I see ya were reading some of those hieroglyphs! So I just thought you must be one of them going to that new tomb!"

"New tomb?" Jou questioned dumbly, brows furrowed. Quickly his eyes darted from the girl to the book.

"Ah! I knew it! You are!" she exclaimed and quickly hugged him. Jou stiffened and his face instantly bloomed into a bright vermillion color. The mummy across from him seemed just as shocked and momentarily lapse of self showed he was put off about it as well. The young woman pulled back roughly and laughed outright. "I can't believe I scored someone so intelligent who will make it so big!"

"Woah! Listen," the blond began and quickly shrugged off her arms. The woman watched him oddly as Jou hurriedly dumped the Book of the Dead back into his back pack. "I'm sorry, but I'm not from London…"

"You're not?" she asked disappointed. Seto snorted but Jou only nodded with an apologetic smile. The young woman put her hands on her hips and leaned to the side. "Really? I could have sworn I heard you mumbling about the stupid bug thingy—"

"Oh, you mean scarabs?" Jou interrupted, absently recalling a passage about those damn beetles.

"Yeah," the girl answered flippantly while waving her hand. Attractive stones on her rings flashed in the sunlight. "That tomb was filled with 'em and everything! Some kind of person or kid or whatever was buried with them."

Jou turned away in thought, mentally categorizing all the information he had so far read in the book. There was something—oh so coincidentally relating to Seto's curse—about a supposed physician who worked around the time of Yami that thought scarabs might provide the key to quiet a few questions about how to obtain long life and healing properties.

"Hmmm, and where was this tomb exactly?" Jou inquired as carelessly as he could. The girl pouted and looked elsewhere in thought.

"I dunno. Somewhere close to a ghetto," she supplied. "Use to house naval comrades from the States. You wouldn't know that now though. Called… Maria's Place?" Jou's eyes darkened at the thought. He knew of the ghetto she was talking about.

"Mary's Palace. Yes, I've heard of it," Jou coolly pulled out two bills. One he slapped on the table. The other he offered to the young lady. "Thank you, and I hope you do find your English Beau one day soon." The girl greedily snatched the paper money with glazed eyes. As was customary, she pecked his cheek and floundered off.

"**Why would you—"**

"She was a working girl," Jou informed. Seto caught a glimpse of a flowing violet skirt as said girl wandered into the shadows, a new man glued to her arm. "I'm surprised you didn't realize it first. She must come from the eastern side then. They're always looking for good old Brits who followed in their father's footsteps to dig through Egypt."

"**How would you know so much?"** the priest implied as he stood. His face was emotionless and his tone almost bored if it wasn't so cruel. Jou strode over to the door and Seto quickly followed. Realizing as he caught up with the younger male that Jou was refusing to answer his question, he decided upon a simpler one,** "Would you at least tell me where we are headed?"**

"My house…" Jou whispered. His pace quickened as he noticed a glimmer of shining purple around the corner of the café. A giggle soon followed it. The sound was drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the mad streets of the market.

"**Aren't you an orphan?"** Seto questioned. The teen growled but otherwise nodded. Seto decided that was enough for the questions today. It appeared they had other things to worry about. Unable to help it, the Egyptian glanced backward as it seemed eyes were on his back.

It sent a sudden shiver up his spine. The feeling terrible and great all at the same time… and so awfully familiar. Something glinted scarlet in the shadows between the buildings and the mummy's foot instinctively began to glide toward it. Then Jou's frustrated call brought his attention toward their path ahead. Seto's dark head shook itself free of thoughts as he followed after the blond.

_**I thought I saw…but that's impossible… isn't it?**_

In the gloom a supple laugh echoed. A young woman spied two men, a blond and a brunet, swaying in the heat of the desert sun. "Hey babe, what are you laughing at?" a slurred voice asked a pretty, dark haired working girl.

The girl glanced down at the man nuzzling her chest as it spilled forth from her skin tight top. "Just an old friend…" she murmured huskily. The drunkard grinned lecherously and went back to his task at hand. She smiled down at him with bright ruby eyes… but soon her eyes paled and the lovely young whore drifted away.

**TBC **

**A/N**: I decided to stop here. Yes I know, how mean of me is that?

Very. I wanted fifteen pages originally. However, some people complain too short, other's too long. Nine pages should be in the middle and people should be happy. This one is pretty odd. I hope you're all confused. I fixed it up a bit though with help from my Anna.

YAY!!!!

Number six will be better, you know?


	6. Chapter Six

UPDATED AS OF January 8, 2008: Finally up is the revised version of Chapter Two

**A/N: **So… It has been a very long time (ugh, I suck, I know, I SOWWIE!). Well, just to let ya'll know, I had some stuffies going on in my life. School, my uncle almost dying, trips across the country, yeah. All sorts of… well, just random events we call life.

I have _**no**_ intention of stopping this fic. It'll just take a while to finish is all… but I have had some GREAT inspiration and I'm trying to work as hard as I can!

**Warning:** There are boys doing bad things to other boys in here. Does that cover it?

**Disclaimer:** I absolutely LOATHE this part of the beginning.

**Summary:**

**Remember:**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**Egyptian**

Time Skip/Scene Change

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Six**

"This sucks…" a blond panted as he struggled, dragging a heavy pouch through the dessert. A shimmering city sat off a nearby coast. Emerald waters sparkled in the setting sun. Jou bit his lip and glanced up to see his undead companion beginning to lose his… well, human covering.

"**Perhaps we should wait here,"** the ancient suggested, glancing down at his own hands which were slowly, but surely losing their tautness. That bit of unholy wrath crept into the baritone of his voice and made the teen's spine shiver uncontrollably. Seto was slightly guilty for the moment, but let it go soon as Jou shook his head, the sweaty bangs sticking to his forehead.

"We gotta keep moving. Gangs wonder past the port and the abandoned naval housings…" the boy sighed for what seemed the millionth time since the start of their trip. He had remained silent and brooding, delving into the Book of the Dead more than was necessary. Barely having time to sleep or eat, all they did was travel.

As Jou continued to march at a faster pace, the priest kept up with him, focusing instead on the horizon line. It was as if he was morbidly counting down his fruitless minutes until the moon's light shone down on him without mercy…

1100 BCE

"**You're staring again, Seto…" **a honeyed voice breathed. Those rounded, Grecian orbs were closed listlessly, but underneath, the brunet man knew there was irises the color of the chariot that pulled the sun to and from the surface of the Earth.

"**You're beautiful, love," **Seto whispered. He leaned down from his sitting position to nuzzle the supple flesh the as bright and warm—not to mention as delicious—as nectarine peaches. **"How can I not stare?"**

"**Close your eyes like me…"** came the playful tease, peeking one vibrant eye open. The priest sighed as delicate fingers traced intricate, inane patterns over his broad shoulders. The intimacy sizzled like heat, sending diminutive trickles of perspiration from their bodies, yet they would not move for several hours.

Present

Seto blinked, fully aware of the darkness surrounding the area. Somehow, clouds had ghosted over the pearl floating in the sky and neither traveler noticed until small bricks of buildings grew to a moderate height. Figures could be seen darting in the shadows and Jou breathed out a curse, tossing his head up to see Seto still resembling a man, not a monster.

"Be ready to hide or run at any moment," he warned. The Egyptian snorted and continued to kick up sand as he strut over to the entrance to the modest 'suburb.' Jou followed after, gulping to himself, feeling his forehead burn like acid.

The two hesitated at the gate, observing that it was worn, having the locks smashed to pieces. However, glancing up to Seto while he gazed down to Jou, both steeled their nerves within the swirls of the others eyes. Jou defiantly kicked open the bars, shouldering his pack. The mummy smirked, his icy orbs glinting mysteriously in the dark. Those silhouettes in the murky darkness shrank, slipping away from the odd pair.

Autopilot took over for the blond and he made his way through the crisscrossing lanes and narrow alleys expertly. Aimlessly, the priest was inspecting what _little_ he could see. From what he could _smell_ it wasn't all that much to be excited about.

"**Where are we headed, mutt?"** he asked, blowing a couple of dingy spiders from their webs as he made his way next to the teen. Jou frowned at the tone turning back while entering a nice open plaza, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a light shined on him from down above.

Reflexively, they shielded their eyes within the crook of their elbows. Jou blinked stars from in front of his wry face. Screwing up his eyes, he spun around, trying to pinpoint where the lights were coming from.

"HEY JACKASS!"

"Well, well, well…" a voice chuckled throatily. Jou growled to himself and quickly crossed his arms in discontent. "Lookie here boys, Jounouchi Katsuya's come back to his roots!"

"I ain't stayin' long!" he shouted up. He roughly sighed (again) and shook his head. Seto stared up at the lights thoughtfully and with a well placed wave of his hand, the batteries died. The night shrouded the land of Egypt once more.

Twinkling stars of a bluish grace kept the housing with a bit of illumination. From a top the structure of a wrecked adobe home, stood a teen. His arms were also folded over his lanky chest. Dark hair ruffled in the breeze from under a wooly cap. Loosening up, the male jumped from his spot, on to an overhanging to a window ledge, and then the ground. Dust billowed up into his mangy burgundy and gray striped shirt.

"'Ey Rex," Jou muttered, glaring slightly, "Long time, no see, eh?"

1100 BCE

The wind was blowing across the plains of the dessert, sand glistening like molten gold in the sunlight. The pharaoh as much as he loved the warmth and harsh beauty… was sour and growling under his breath.

A poor slave wondered by, taking linens to be washed when Yami snapped at her to bring the Priest.

Soon enough, the Priest was standing in front of his childhood friend, a quizzical face slipping past his defenses as the other servants were hissed at to leave them be. Seto stepped forward as Yami paced back and forth, shaking from fury. Suddenly, he lashed forward, glowering with more than just hate and confusion.

"**You betrayed me Seto…" **he groaned, covering half his face in his hands, **"Why? You knew how I felt… How could you…?"**

"**Yami… Wha—"**

"**Jono told me **_**everything**_**!"**

Seto gasped. And that was all it took for Yami's back to turn on his best friend.

Present

A dingy cloth hanging was pushed away from an entry to a small shack. Seto ducked his head in so it would not hit the top of the doorway. Jou paused for a second and then moved in, sighing as he wandered over to the right corner of the home. Rex leaned on the wall, yawning to show he was incredibly bored rather than tired.

"**This was your home?" **the brunet questioned. He tried not to emphasize any words for he himself was still processing what could be going on in the mortal's mind. Jou only nodded in response.

"You're friend talks funny, Kats," Rex muttered as he cleaned his nails. Jou rolled his eyes and made no move. "Can he even understand us…?"

Rex strolled over, staring up at the tall, lean Egyptian. Seto merely raised an eyebrow. The gang banger whistled and tossed his long hair back, cocking his head to the blond rummaging through his things. Finally, a slim arm belonging to said blond held up a dented and dusty, but very fine bottle of a French vintage wine.

"Here, you freaking boozer," Jou grumbled. He tossed it lightly and Rex expertly caught it.

"Ahhh, damn man," he sighed, twisting off the top hurriedly. The dark haired lad sniffed it, exhaling it as if in ecstasy. "I was wondering where you hid everything…" Seto crossed his arms and went over to a moldy chair, testing it for a minute before taking a seat at last. Rex continued to drink idly from his bottle from his spot while Jou went to work to unpack and repack his book and clothes into a larger knapsack.

"Whatever happened to your Ryou and Bakura?" the guy asked, tilting the bottle in the other teen's direction. Jou stilled and while the ancient did nothing but simulate breathing.

"They're gone…" he replied. Rex hummed, taking a swig and sliding down the burgundy stained wall.

"So you've come back home, eh Kats?" the gang member scoffed. Jou shook his head and finished his packing, turning back to frown with meaning.

"Rex, my name is Jou, not Kats," he warned. Seto couldn't help but chuckle.

"**What about mutt?"**

"**Goddamn you with your insults!" **said mutt yelled and bounced up to point his finger at the man. Seto grinned and crossed one leg or the other to get comfortable in the old chair. Rex has on a bemused look and, again, drank a hearty gulp from his liquor bottle.

"He don't know a damn thing about ya," the drunkard realized. It caused him to gloat in a sing-songy voice. "Jounouchi Katsuya ain't got no mommy, 'cause his daddy was a Tommy. Jounouchi Katsuya hates his name, 'cause it's all to blame!"

Seto felt his brows pulled down as he listened while Jou glared daggers sharp enough to kill Rex ten times over. "Rex, get out of my fucking house!"

"Welcome home, _Jounouchi_!" Rex cackled as he was kicked out of the door by an irate dog, dust flying and dancing in the beams of light. The cackling could be heard as the gang banger traveled down the road, unabashed yet completely smashed.

Jou thumped his head on the door-jam, letting out a deep sigh. Seto rose carefully, feeling something stir in him that made him walk right over and let his hand soothingly touch the boy's shoulder. The human was shivering, his body heat rising like his unequalled temper. The priest wanted to say something but couldn't… he didn't know what to say to him. However, that didn't stop Jou.

"The tomb must be not too far off from here… I often discovered tiny tombs about fifty yards eastwards. We'll travel there in the morning, when it's light out. We will be looking for a key," he stated blankly, barely glancing up at the other male. Jou made to move out of the way, but Seto's hand clasped on to his shoulder, tugging him back.

"**Tell me…"** Seto whispered, sapphire orbs searching the pallid face for answers. Jou tensed in his hold… like he always does. Seto could feel his blood that never moved grow as cold and as thick as glaciers. For the longest time, Seto never bothered to know the blond too well… and maybe that was just old prejudices… but this was different. The look in the caramel colored eyes… _they_ were different. And it took him just now to figure it out.

"The past is the past, Seto, leave it alone…" Jou tried, looking away. A noise close to a snarl worked its way passed the ancient tan throat. Seto's grip did not release, but strengthened as he shoved the blond against the wall. Instantly, Jou gasped and locked eyes with the priest.

"**My past is the reason for my being,"** he murmured, face inching closer, **"Or did you forget my nature, mutt?"** Jou could not find the courage to speak, his mouth suddenly filling with cotton, and tongue swelling thickly. **"Do not walk away from me again, do you understand, mortal?"** That handsome face was closer now, and the breath of the Nile washed over pink lips. **"Do you…?"**

Jou managed to nod mechanically without really thinking. Seto eased off of him, mood calming slightly. Jou's pulsating fear was like flames at the back of his brain, and that fire scolded him deep inside, but he didn't want to question as to why so soon.

"**Good. I believe it is time to sleep then. Wouldn't you agree?"**

As before, Jou only found the will to nod obediently, exhaustion seeping into his soul.

…

Sweat dripped down, literally, from the tip of Jou's Roman nose. He was holding out the Book of the Dead, mumbling under his breath as he flipped pages and danced around in the scorching desert. The ancient beside him walked a few steps behind stiffly.

"**Mutt, what in the world are we looking for?"** Seto asked, pushing over dung beetles with the heel of his sneakers. Strange contraptions these sneakers were. They were originally the color of the night sky, but with all the traveling, had dulled to a dirty grey. Despite this, they were rather comfortable. The heat of the sand did not truly reach the soles of his feet or irate his already harden skin.

Definitely an improvement from leather sandals.

"Hush!" the teen waved his arm behind in the general direction where the other male stood. Seto let out a bored sigh, glancing around for anything familiar. In his time, Yami didn't do much traveling. This part of Egypt was practically self-contained. Absently he wondered what happened after his death.

"**I have a question for you…"** Seto posed. The blond twitched a bit, spying up over his hardened cover of a book.

"I have an answer, let's see if they match," he replied. Seto would have smirked if he was not genuinely curious.

"**What happened after my death? What happened to the Pharaoh?"** he questioned.

"Forty-two," the mutt answered. Seto only blinked. Letting out a ragged breath, Jou snapped close the binding of the book and shoving it in his pack. "That was a joke. My answer didn't match…"

Icy blue eyes rolled while Jou took in a moment to wipe the salty liquid from his forehead. Keep his bangs from falling back into his face, long, square fingers held the gleaming gold strands to his head. Seto shifted his weight from one to the other as he watched Jou's thoughtful face, catching a glimpse of a light slash running near his hairline.

"Actually… I think Yami passed away before he was thirty…" the blond brushed the dirt and hard grains of sand around until he found the cool under-bottom of the desert. There he plopped down, breathing out through his nose stuffily. "His time period isn't known very well. Most believe because in 1105 BCE there was a drought and famine, and huge dust storms. Temples and mummies as well as history are buried hundreds of feet beneath the dunes…"

"**I see…"** the creature turned its now elegant head elsewhere. Jou let go of his bangs, shading his eyes as he played with one slick mass of hair in between his knuckles.

"I-I'm sorry… Seto. I really didn't mean to bring up bad memories," the youth apologized. Seto closed his eyes and resignedly shook his head.

"**Think nothing of it…"** he said lightly. Jou placed his hands in his lap as he disagreed loudly.

"But, really I—w-whoa, AHHHH!" the blond was cut off by the ground moving out from under his body.

Seto jerked his face back to see the darker sands Jou was sitting on, bubble and shift around violently. The younger one tried to stand, but the ground was giving way beneath his feet. The more he struggled, the larger the hole he was making, causing rifts of sand to fall over his shaking legs.

"**Don't move!"** the Egyptian order harshly, twisting and turning, looking for any rope, or larger stick so he could pull the blond out.

"I'm not! I swear!" he shouted, arms stretching out to grab fistfuls of searing ground. It slipped through the lines of his fingers and trickling off his palms. The sand actually began to rise along with Jou's sinking body. Fearful amber orbs looked up into Seto's and the priest froze, unsure of how to help.

A skittering sound rose up from the ground, the earth querulously peaking around the teen. Then, with a burst of iridescent light, came the clicking scarabs. Instantaneously Jou screamed in terror as the swiftly crawled over his body and across the boiling sands. Seto stamped on as many as he could that dared to get to close. The stench of something disgusting in the air tickled the back of Seto's brain as his eyes sharpened.

Afraid for their little insect lives, they scrambled back to Jou. A particular fat one somehow wiggled it's way under the blond's palm. Sucking in a lungful of arid heat, Jou's hand flung up, tossing the shiny, gross feeling _thing_ off behind him. It thumped on the ground, then jumped up, and burrowed underneath the sands, hiding there. However, in this minute of panic, Jou lost his solid hold, and he slid down further, the sands pulling him underneath.

"Ahh…" Jou weakly scratched at the desert, throat shutting itself off in horror as the earth all around and under him collapsed completely. All it took was a second of free falling for him to screw up his eyes and pray to the gods for a painless death, _Please dear Ra—_

A jerk on his wrist made him gasp in both a moment of pain and surprise. The jerk swung his body to the sides tensely as he dangled from his right hand in a dark pit; it also unfortunately jarred the thin straps of his pack. The strap splintered and Jou fumbled for it, the tips of his fingers barely missing the backpack as it sped down into the darkness, landing with a light thud three seconds later.

"Damn…" Jou whispered. Shaking his hand mentally, he reached up his other arm, clapping onto Seto's golden brown flesh. The immortal's chest was heaving a bit, narrowed eyes blazing down into the darkness. Relief seemed to wash over Jou in a gentle wave.

The strength that came with being undead made it a little less than a struggle to get Jou back on steady ground where the mutt immediately feel onto his knees, the muscles in his legs treacherously cramping. The high priest idly stooped down, checking the boy for injuries, satisfactorily finding none. He moved to stand up tall when the human leaped forward latching on to him with his skinny arms winding around the tan neck.

"Thank you…" he whispered in a gulp. Seto froze, unknowing whether to push him off in order to calm him, or to embrace the lad like desperately wanted to at the moment. Luckily for him, he didn't have to choose as Jou backed away after a pause. Still, feeling the need to do something, the brunet raked his hand through the messy locks. Jou leaning in a bit and softly sighed to himself as the shaking in his legs almost disappeared entirely.

Later That Night

"Oy, Jou if you were looking for a mummy," Rex said through his chunks of grilled meat on a spit, "A tomb with those damn beetles was found close by here." The gang member hands the blond a spit with what appeared to be burnt food. Sticking out a pink tongue, Jou grabbed the stick and quickly bit into the steamy food. Rex offered one to Seto but the ancient merely gazed at it.

"He won't eat that," Jou said while chewing out of the side of one mouth. Rex shrugged and slapped down the hunk of flesh on a clay plate. The sun seemed to flicker in lines across the horizon. There was no moon out that night, so Seto ventured over to the fire pit where the adolescents lazed about. Most departed like the Red Sea, leaving a wide berth around Rex and Jou. "Plus, idiot, I don't want to be a damn tourist. I want my own tomb. I saw it coming the way in. Nothing excitin' in there."

"Suit yourself. We found mighty fine jobs over there," the leader pointed out. Jou just continued to eat, bouncing his knee on the log he used as a seat. Noticing the look in Jou's eyes, that wonderful glittering look—_gawd_ how Rex despised that look of the blond's…

"You don't got a job, do ya, Kats?" Rex questioned severely. "What with your ability to speak and read 'glyphs, I assumed you would find some old job at a library or museum. But you didn't didja?"

"'Course not, stupid. I ain't got no credentials, and…" Jou paused here, hefting up the meat and shoving the skewer into the log. The meat slid a few inches, but was not yet touching the seat. "I hate museums anyways now."

"Poor, poor Jou. Your momma would be ashamed to hear that," Rex stated gleefully. Jou growled and kicked up cinders so that they stuck to Rex's meat. The gang banger continued to chow down without caring. It caused the blond to frown.

"I had been back barely an hour and you gotta go and bring that up," he accused. Rex only smiled. "What the hell for? I'm getting' real tired of that, real fast."

"B'cause I am still fucking pissed at you for leaving in the first place," he answered quite nonchalantly. Jou crossed his arms over his legs, glare fading away. The meat beside him attracted a few buzzing flies.

"I thought I explained that to you…"

"Oh yeah, you explained…" the leader grumbled, tossing his long hair off his shoulder. "But I don't care. Me and you, Kats… man, we coulda ruled it all…" A far away stare came into his dry orbs.

"I don't wanna waste away in this rat-hole, X, you know that," Jou scoffed, picking back up his meat in order to toss it into the roaring flames. Seto contemplated this scene lightly, but did not intervene.

"Well, I know that _now_," the dark haired companion muttered, brows creasing. "But what can you do, Jou? You're cursed. Just like me. That's what we get for being born by monsters."

"My mother was a saint," Jou laughed and batted a fly from his soft face. Rex cackled at the old joke, throwing his food across the plaza by accident. A couple teens backed up, hiding in the shadows once more.

"Lord knows you were sowed by the devil though," came the preacher voice of his old gang partner. Jou laid his forehead on his knees, ignoring the slight burn from the tiny scar near his scalp.

"No… I've met the devil before, Rex…" he sighed. Rex's ears perked up and a bemused grin placed on his young, chubby face.

"Really now," he clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "And what's this devil look like in case I run into the bastard?" Jou spied upwards through his digits, the tiny cuts from what seemed an eternity ago fading away nicely.

"Well, he had one eye that shone bright and long hair the color of storm clouds… tall and thin… but his bone-hands had the grip of death…" Jou hummed as he picked himself up, stretching his back inwards, cracks along the spine popping audibly.

"Sounds creepy," X admitted. Jou nodded.

"But he's dead now," the blond confessed. Then a wicked smile graced his angelic features. "We killed him." Rex blanched and jumped away shielding himself with his hands as Jou laughed uproariously, holding onto his aching sides.

"Goddamn you, Jounouchi!" the gang leader cussed as he realized the other teenager was only pulling his leg.

"Hey, now, what I'd tell you about my name?" Jou warned, wiping stray tears from the corner of his eyes. The corners of his mouth were twisting upwards despite his serious tone.

"I'll call you whatever the hells I want after that scare… Jeez Jou…" Rex breathed, claiming his original spot by the crumbling log. "For a minute there I thought—" abruptly the gang member halted his words and shook his head, dark hair shading his face. "Nevermind…"

"Aww, what, Rexxy?" Jou teased, not knowing when he should fold his cards. "Got scared I might off you too?"

"Not really…" he said. Cocking his beanie covered head he just stared the mutt down. "I just… had a flashback was all… Don't smile like that again, Jou… You really do…" a gulp from both parties, "look like _him_, ya know?"

Jou didn't really make a noise so much as his larynx pushed a shocked choke forward. His head hastily wrenched toward the fire, amber eyes dark as they reflected the inferno before them in the pit. Seto remained on the sidelines, confused, but unwilling to speak until Jou was out of the presence of the young man beside him, who obviously stirred up memories the dog would rather forget…

Eleven Years Previous

After the initial _incident_, the naval base was burst open to the public of how horrible a place it truly was. No one really lived there now… no one but the children of the _monsters_ that is. That was how the gang had gotten its name. Anti.

That was just how Jou and Rex wanted it too. Adults, as they were, never ventured in this damned part of the world. Jou and Rex's world. All the other gangs were afraid of them. Jou—Kats by his gang name—and Rex—his was X—were the meanest you had ever seen. The stories of just how terrible they were increased everyday. And the gods forbid if you happened in on their turf…

This was just what happened incidentally.

"Ryou! _Ryou_!" a white haired boy hissed as he tripped along the bricks of adobe littering the shadows. A cough somewhere in the distance caught the youngster's attention, and he practically flew towards the noise… only to bump into the chest of a skinny-ass blond.

"Omfh!"

Both boys went down in a flurry of dirt and sweat. The skinny blond cradled his head while the albino youth rocked back and forth as he scrapped up his knees. "Damn kid! What's your problem?!" the white one snarled.

"Who the hell are ya callin' a kid, eh?!" The blond spied up between his elbows and glared.

"You dumbass!" our hero quipped. The blond one brushed off his already dingy shirt and queasily got up onto his knees.

"You got alotta nerve! Doncha have any clue who I am?!" he questioned gravely. The other boy scoffed and leapt up onto his feet, uncaring.

"Hell no! And I could care less!" he stated. He grinned there and crossed his arms.

"Why you—" the golden hair lad was interrupted by a blur of silver as it crashed into the chest of the other male.

"Bakura! I'm so glad I found you! You're never going to believe who I met!" the silver blur babbled. The other white one, apparently named Bakura, just blinked. This was the fabled Ryou our hero had been searching for.

Ryou pulled back from his brother's tummy and swept his arm over to the golden boy. "This is Jou. Also known as Kats!" Bakura still at the mention of Kats, gazing at the smirking Jou. Finally he broke free of Ryou's hold and accusingly pointed at Jou.

"This skinny freak is the famous Kats?!"

"Hey!"

And somehow, someway, it was history for Jou after that.

Present

Most of the boys in the base were sleeping heavily due to Jou's secret stash of alcohol. After dinner, everyone supped up the drinks with relish and was out cold. "Light weights," the blond scoffed affectionately.

Missing the comforting weight on his shoulder that would be the know-it-all Book of the Dead, the teen sighed and slung rope over his arms, along with a first aid kit if needed. Seto was waiting by the exit, carrying the bundle of the makeshift pulley system Jou had gotten to work on after discovering the tomb… well, in actuality it discovered him, but no one was going to split hairs over that.

The two walked in relative silence for the most part, the sound of the wind keeping them company over the chilling earth. Stars blinked at them in wonder as they trekked to the hole leading down into the sands of time.

The ancient glanced over, eying his solicitous mutt through wisps of mahogany strands of hair. There was no moon out this night, and for that he could be thankful. Jou seemed disturbed whenever his true form walked near him. Partially, Seto was as well distressed by it, but would not spend many of his thoughts on it… the blond, on the other hand, took up most of his mediations.

"**You never answered me… about what your friend was talking about before…" **Seto said this softly; as if he was aware he was treading on shark infested waters. Jou smiled and twirled the flashlight he held in his hand.

"Every guy there," Jou vaguely gestured behind him as his story time began, "Has had a rough past. Abusive parents, drunkards, drugs… all sorts of bad things. Then, one day, a man shot his wife and child. Mentally, he was never quite there. Mix in military service and booze and you got a deadly bomb waiting to explode."

"**I amuse it finally did,"** the priest guessed. Jou nodded, letting his head droop down to watch his slow steps scrape over the dunes.

"A full scale investigation scared off a bunch of the parents. Quite a few owed debts… some took their kids… the others were either left behind or had no family to take them away," Jou explained. "So with no one here to say what to do and what not to do, me and Rex took over control as gangs among the older ones broke out. We were ten or eleven at the time. Big shots weren't we?"

"**Big mouths as well,"** Seto taunted. Jou contained the urge to flip him off because, mostly, he was accurate. The walk went on in quiet for a few more moments, the hole just a dot on the horizon. Again, Seto broke the tranquility by asking another question, **"Why do you not like your name?"**

That made Jou trip over his own feet in astonishment. It wasn't the question, more of the bluntness, which threw him for a loop. Fumbling over his shoe laces and lifting the twine rope above his feet, the blond gazed up to see bemused sapphire eyes.

"I…" he started but his voice fell away. Shaking his head, he clutched tightly to the ropes. "I was named after my dad… and… I _hate_ my dad."

Seto waited, but the mutt wasn't forth coming as to why. Sorrow and self-loathing radiated off of him in such strong bolts, the ancient decided it was best to stop while he was ahead. Striking the ground with one of the pegs of the pulley system, he stared up at the endless sky. No one seemed to be listening in the heavens any longer. How could he pray for lost souls now…?

The pulley system went up as smoothly as could be believed. Jou tied the rope around his waist and then looped it snuggly under his cute tush. Seto then aided in lowering the teenager down the dark abyss. Using the flashlight, Jou scowled, realizing that the dark was too oppressive to accommodate his second rate light. By using his legs and what little he could sort of see, Jou's toe eventually touched the bottom of something. By the way the sneaker sole squeaked it must have been a flat surface.

"Hey Seto!" Jou called up, tunneling his mouth. From up top, that moon sized hole showing a couple of stars was blotted out by a sharp visage. "It's way too dark down here! Drop a torch!"

The Egyptian swiped up a long rod, lighting the end by striking a match against it, just like Jou showed him how earlier. From there he tossed it into the opening. It spiraled downward, an orange flame brightening the passage better than the wimpy device Jou brought along. However, the trip stopped for a second, and then a loud "OW!" echoed back up to the creature.

Seto seized the thick rope and rode down promptly, spinning toward the ground. Landing soundly, his ancient eyes adjusted quickly to his unknown surroundings. He took in the sight of the blond one clasping his left arm, whimpering lightly.

"**Idiot,"** he scolded walking forward and capturing the appendage in what could be confused as a tender touch, **"You weren't supposed to catch it."**

"Ow, ow, ow!" the teen hissed, screwing up his eyes and flinching. Seto sighed and shook his head, hair the color of dark chocolate swaying. Guilty Jou twitched. The high priest of the pharaoh let his trim fingers linger over the singed part of the boy's light skin. Almost leisurely, Seto tipped up the elbow with two fingers, exposing the supple wrist and forearm.

Enclosing the wrist with feather softness, Seto drew up the limb, placing his lush mouth over the injury. Jou's eyes widened to caramel disks, and his whole body electrified when those dry lips pushed against his flesh. He yanked his at his arm, wincing when the sight burn stung like heated needles. The taller one didn't even seem to notice, the grip not tightening or giving slack.

"W-What are you doing?!" Jou wanted it to be a shriek, but it came out in a breathless whisper as his lungs didn't get enough air due to his erratic breathing. Seto's head tilted to the side, orbs darker, yet still a clear blue.

"**Healing you,"** he answered simply.

"With your li—mouth?!" Jou's voice raised an octave as he refused to harlequin the experience by using the word 'lips.' Seto smirked, causing Jou's spine to erupt into quivers and his stomach to tangle knots all over the place.

"**Mummy magic. From the mouth knowledge and life shall flow from you,"** the ancient practically recited. The callous man went back to his task, ignoring the teen turning a shade of vermillion as the lips continued to wreak havoc on his senses. Seto's large hands traversed up Jou's arm, tickling him almost as the soft pads grazed his skin, making the tiny hairs stand up on end. **"Am I making you nervous…?"**

"No!" Jou stubbornly declared but lost his balance as he observed he truly hadn't been breathing during the healing process. Dizzily, his knuckles buckled, and his feet teetering to get him to keep standing. Seto was fast however.

His hand shot out, grabbing the back of Jou's slim neck, towing him forward to be protectively supported into that broad chest. The blond gasped, ogling up at that hole that was littered with shining planets so far away. His scarred digits embedded themselves in the light covering Seto wore, pricking just at the flesh that was still human in the absence of the glowing moon.

"**I do think you're lying, Jounouchi," **he whispered against the heated shell of an ear. Jou's heart nearly stopped and he faintly resisted the embrace he was in, but the power the mummy kept locked inside him was firmly maintaining the teen in those tan arms.

"Y-You can't call me that!" Jou protested weakly. Seto could have almost smiled as he nuzzled the tip of his nose against the downy fluff of gold atop that lovely little head. The smell of orchids consumed the elder being.

"**Why not, little puppy?"** questioned the ancient. Jou growled low, trying to not take the bait.

"S-Seto, stop this **now**!" he demanded, digging his nails into the man with what he hoped wounded the creature. Seto just shrugged it off, his fingers twisting around the curling ends of hair at the nape of Jou's neck. It caused the boy to let his head be coaxed to the side while those inhumanly soft fingers soothed him with small circles over his scalp in a calming kind of massage.

"**What have you to hide from me?"** inquired the priest. Jou found himself trailing his eyes all over the face of the man holding him. From his cold orbs to the distinct curve of his brows, the sharp jaw, the mouth blossoming into another smile, crooked up at the edge of his lighted mocha skin…

"It's not just you…" his voice shook almost melodiously to the Egyptian's ears.

"**Would you not agree we were bound to each other for a reason?"** Seto asked, tone solemn but still wary, **"Wouldn't this be called fate, Jounouchi? Hmm?"**

"Seto!" Jou groan in frustration and closed his eyes, not liking how he couldn't mind so much when the olden one mumbled his name in his honey baritone. "I don't like my—"

"**Yes, I know!"** he interrupted agitated, **"But you have yet to tell me why exactly!"**

"You don't need a damn why!" the blond argued. He let out a tiny cry as a few strands of gold were tugged at the base of his neck. Pursing his lips, Jou glowered defiantly. The priest had to sigh, blowing misty breath across the mutt's cheek.

"**I'll be honest with you, if you're honest with me,"** he bargained.

"I don't really care to ask you questions about your past," Jou shot back. For some reason, this perturbed the poor ancient to no ends, and he wasn't quite sure for the reasons.

"**Well, why not?!" **he blurt out, brows falling into a deep V. The blond watched, unknowing of how it appeared to sort of give him butterflies and why it made him _want_ to ask some questions.

"Because…" he said at first. Normally people were content with that answer, but not Seto, _no_, never Seto. "Because I know I detest it when people ask me about my scar or about what happened to me when I was a kid. So I just don't ask anyone else."

"**I saw your scar… Do you hate it like your name?"** he wondered aloud. Jou nodded as much as Seto allowed him. He felt his blood rise up to his face when he noted that he was still in the encompassing arms of Seto. Albeit, as… _nice_… as it was, Jou had a feeling he should begin to fight his way out of this danger zone he was currently forced into.

"Could you let me go now…?" was the hushed plea. Seto hesitated, letting his digits clench taunt.

"**Give me my answers first,"** he ordered. Jou grit his teeth and tensed.

"**Please, Seto, I'm begging you…" **the puppy dog tried, his voice wavering. The priest's countenance was blank and Jou squirmed under the scrutiny of those mysterious eyes. Tan fingers stroked the silky space behind the teen's ear. Then, as if it was all in his imagination, Jou was free. His release sent him sprawling across the grimy floor. The blond staggered up, biting his lip, not paying attention to the bruises welling up from the ruthless fall.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured. **"Really! I'm sorry…"**

"**I just… I do not understand it… This repugnance you hold to your own heritage," **Seto breathed out, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. **"I'm **_**still**_** calling you Jounouchi."**

"GAH!" Jou shouted out, slapping the ground in frustration. "Why can't you understand I **hate** that?! It has nothing to do with you! I swear! I never tell anyone about my past! I don't tell anyone—"

"That your pops killed your mother, then tried to off you, thus starting the investigation that caused dozens of poor children's parents to flounder off?" a voice quipped. Jou felt his lungs sputter to attain oxygen to his brain. Seto whipped around, hurriedly shielding Jou from the figure jumping down from their rope to the world above. "You're right. What could possibly be so devastating about _that_ story, eh?"

"Who's there?!" Seto snarled in picture perfect English. Jou scrambled and snatched the flickering torch from the muck-ridden tiling. He thrust it up into the air, a carroty-yellow circumference of about five and a half meters lighting up the extensive room. Jou felt a startled noise rip out from his belly.

"What the—Rex?!" Jou gawked while Seto's muscles contracted as if stunned.

There stood the egotistical gang leader, hands on his thin hips as his dark hair rustled in the open air.

"Heya, guys."

**TBC**

**A/N: **I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Took me forever, but here it is! The sixth chapter! Whoohoo! Whoohoohoo! Hoohoo, hoohoo!

Soooooooooooo. Yeah. Lots of randomly good stuffs. I brought back Rex from the first season from FOREVER ago. Damn, man. I remember watching that back in FOURTH GRADE. Hell, this is my senior year of high school! That's a looooooooooooong time.

Sorry if it seems a bit stale and choppy… I had to break through major writer's block for this ficcy. The next one will probably be smoother. My writing style has gotten a lot better. I'm trying to use this week of summer I have to myself wisely. I'm cranking out a much as I can until my brain dies. YAY FOR BRAIN DEADNESS!

So, please, if you love me or my fics, review and tell me how I did.

I need some confidence boosters.

Until next time—which will hopefully be soon…?

(_**SteelAgainstIvory**_)


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